heebie-jeebies

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hee·bie-jee·bies

(hē′bē-jē′bēz)

pl.n. Slang

A feeling of uneasiness or nervousness; the jitters.

[Coined by William De Beck (1890-1942), American cartoonist, in his comic strip Barney Google.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

heebie-jeebies

(ˈhiːbɪˈdʒiːbɪz)

pl n

the heebie-jeebies slang apprehension and nervousness

[C20: coined by W. De Beck (1890–1942), American cartoonist]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

hee•bie-jee•bies

(ˈhi biˈdʒi biz)

n.pl. Informal.

a condition of extreme nervousness; willies; jitters (usu. prec. by the).

[1905–10, Amer.; rhyming compound coined by W. De Beck (1890–1942), U.S. cartoonist]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun

heebie-jeebies - extreme nervousness

jitters, screaming meemies

jargon, lingo, patois, argot, vernacular, slang, cant - a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves); "they don't speak our lingo"

nerves, nervousness - an uneasy psychological state; "he suffered an attack of nerves"

heebie-jeebies

noun

Slang. A state of nervous restlessness or agitation:

fidget (often used in plural), jitter (used in plural), jump (used in plural), shiver (used in plural), tremble (often used in plural).

Informal: all-overs, shake (used in plural).

Slang: jim-jams, willies.

Translations

heebie-jeebies

[ˌhiːbɪˈdʒiːbɪz] NPL to have the heebie-jeebies (= shaking) → tener un tembleque; (= fright, nerves) → estar hecho un flan
it gives me the heebie-jeebies (= revulsion) → me da asco; (= fright, apprehension) → me pone los pelos de punta, me da escalofríos

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

heebie-jeebies

pl (inf) → Gänsehaut f (inf); it/he gives me the heebie-jeebies → dabei/wenn ich ihn sehe, bekomm ich eine Gänsehaut (inf)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

heebie-jeebies

[ˈhiːbɪˈdʒiːbɪz] npl (fam) I had the heebie-jeebies → le gambe mi facevano giacomo giacomo
it gives me the heebie-jeebies → mi fa venire la tremarella

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

Mentioned in ?

References in periodicals archive ?

It gives me the heebie-jeebies" SNP MP Hannah Bardell "I don't think Paul Hollywood is nasty.

They said what?

It gives me the heebie-jeebies" - SNP MP Hannah Bardell.

THEY SAID WHAT?

'Second Coming's' genuinely unexpected twists notwithstanding, Jodi's considerable acting chops are no match for the film's charmless characters and snooze-inducing sense of dread that is better at building atmospheric suspense than actually scaring the heebie-jeebies out of viewers.

Trio of thrillers has more bark than bite

The thought of putting my mud-splattered festival wellies in a machine that will then deal with my dishes gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Put manky wellies in dishwasher? That gives me the heebie-jeebies; Cat Harvey ON BEING EDUCATED ON WEIRD AND WONDERFUL USES OF HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES

"Every time I go to the doctor and they try and use some on me it just gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Woolly bullies; Worker explains phobia after case win

Frustration demands catharsis; aggression, unrest and heebie-jeebies shown by the masses being the best definition of this abbreviation.

Depression and frustration

CORVALLIS - "Whenever Welch gets around a computer," a Register-Guard tech specialist once said, "I get the heebie-jeebies."

When it comes to computers, I'm the incompatible component

Musically, Moldovan group Carla's Dreams have been called everything from pop and R'n'B to jazz and reggae, but it's their look that gives us the heebie-jeebies - the band is anonymous, performing in hoodies, masks and eerie facial make-up.

Fiesta De Los Muertos in Dubai: Who to see this weekend

Research by credit report firm Noddle also shows applying for credit gives more than two-thirds the heebie-jeebies as we worry we will be turned down.

YOUR CREDIT SCORE

EMMA GREEN: This place gave me the heebie-jeebies when I walked around it at 3am.

TWEETS OF THE DAY

Were it not for Brexit giving financial markets the heebie-jeebies, this would have to have been one of the shortest bear markets in living memory -- unless, of course, you take note of doomsters like that blithering idiot of a so-called financial expert who writes, inter-alia no doubt, for the Motley Fool .

Brexit and your savings: an expat's view

THE merest sight of red and white stripes around The Hawthorns normally gives Albion players and fans alike the heebie-jeebies.