a burr in (one's) saddle

a burr in (one's) saddle

A source or cause of intense and persistent annoyance or irritation. The traffic delays resulting from construction of the new inter-city tramline has been a burr in residents' saddles for months now. I'm not trying to be a burr in your saddle; I'm just ensuring we are following the letter of the law every step of the way.See also: burr, saddle