h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Translations: lose it, fly off the handle, go spare.

Thus the following conversation:
- Mais qu'est-ce qui s'est passé? (What happened?)
- Il a pété les plombs et il l'a foutue à la porte. (He went spare and sacked her)

Next entry, the ubiquitous and prolific family of the verb of the first group that is synonymous with defecate.

doesn't "péter" mean "to fart"? (that's about the extent of my colloquial French)

It does dagesh (you're quick off the mark!).
As a middle-aged educated female mindful of proprieties, I would only pronounce the word (in the primary sense that you indicate) with lowered voice and plenty of quotations marks. Or not use it at all. No such qualms for all the other meanings, like "péter plus haut que son cul" (farting higher than one's arse) which means having pretensions. Uncharitable listeners wuld say that of poor Susan Carter.
With my granddaughter, I have to be a little more earthy and we have a language of our own : a fart is a "poutou" (a bit cutesy) and she has been taught to say "pardon" (another faux pas) if it happens.

Martine, When I'm mixing in polite company a fart is a " bottom burp" or simply blamed on the nearest dog !

So glad to see FWT is continuing.

Not an exact equivalent, but when my mum (a Yorkshirewoman) got really cross/frustrated about something, she would say "It's enough to make you spit pips!"

Hah martine I am also interested in <>

Always thought that "foutre" had a variety of slang and vulgar associations, and whenever I've caught it, usually muttered at the back of the throat*, in a film, I have assumed the worst. Help this stuff jumbles your brain cells!

petal jam

* in so far as one can mutter in one's throat.

True. "Foutre" is pornographic slang for sperm. But in common speech, it is synonymous with the innocuous "ficher": so "Il l'a fichue à la porte" (he sacked her) is more genteel than "foutue à la porte". But as you go up in hierarchies of power, "foutue" would be the best choice, straight language and all that. We use it in this household.

Other pleasing phrases (revision time, class)
- "je vais lui foutre mon pied au cul" (I am going to kick him in the backside)
- "j'en ai rien à foutre" (see if I care)

A euphemism is "fiche":
- "je vais lui fiche mon pied au cul"
- "j'en ai rien à fiche"
- Fiche le camp (bugger off)

"Bien foutue" refers to a woman with a great body.

It's not exactly genteel but no longer vulgar.