Heebie jeebies

The heebie-jeebies

Meaning

A state of nervous anxiety or fear.

Examples

I didn’t like staying in that old house overnight. The creaks and bumps gave me the heebie-jeebies.

Where did it originate?

USA, 20th century. The origin isn’t known but heebie-jeebie was formerly the name of a dance.

Where is it used?

Worldwide.

Hear the idiom spoken

More idioms about

Browse more Idioms

About the Author

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.