heebie-jeebies
[ hee-bee-jee-beez ]
/ ˈhi biˈdʒi biz /
noun (used with a plural verb) Slang.
a condition of extreme nervousness caused by fear, worry, strain, etc.; the jitters; the willies (usually preceded by the): Just thinking about ghosts gives me the heebie-jeebies.
Origin of heebie-jeebies
An Americanism dating back to 1905–10; rhyming compound coined by W. De Beck (1890–1942), American comic-strip cartoonist
Words nearby heebie-jeebies
Example sentences from the Web for heebie-jeebies
Whatever it is, the thing gave me the heebie-jeebies for a minute.
Dorothy Dixon and the Double Cousin |Dorothy WayneIf it takes all this detail to fly straight and level, I'll get the heebie-jeebies when it comes to acrobatics!
Dorothy Dixon Wins Her Wings |Dorothy Wayne
British Dictionary definitions for heebie-jeebies
heebie-jeebies
/ (ˈhiːbɪˈdʒiːbɪz) /
pl n
the heebie-jeebies slang
apprehension and nervousness
Word Origin for heebie-jeebies
C20: coined by W. De Beck (1890–1942), American cartoonist