"heebie-jeebies" meaning in English

See heebie-jeebies in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈhiː.biːˌdʒiː.biːz/
Etymology: The earliest found occurrences of spelling variants (it is not established whether the first one coined the term or committed to print an earlier oral expression): * In 1923, the spelling "heeby jeebys" was used by U.S. cartoonist Billy De Beck in his comic strip Barney Google (New York American, 26 October 1923). * In 1925, the spelling "heebee-jeebees" was used in U.S. magazine Ladies' Home Journal (Vol. 42, Part 2, p. 44). * In 1926, the spelling "heebie jeebies" was used by U.S. singer Louis Armstrong for his single "Heebie Jeebies" (written by Boyd Atkins). * In 1928, the spelling "heebee-geebees" was used in U.S. article "We All Have the Heebee-Geebees" by G. M. Keller of Swift & Company (Modern School Store, Vol. 11, p. 269 via Google Books). * In 1956, the spelling "heeby jeebies" was used by U.S. singer Little Richard on the cover of his homonymous SP record (and the hyphenated spelling "heeby-jeebies" on its vinyl disc itself). Head templates: {{en-noun|p|head=heebie-jeebies}} heebie-jeebies pl (plural only)
  1. (informal) A general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea. Wikipedia link: Barney Google, Billy De Beck, Boyd Atkins, Heebie Jeebies (composition), Ladies' Home Journal, Little Richard, Louis Armstrong, New York American, Swift & Company, heebie-jeebies Tags: informal, plural, plural-only Categories (topical): Emotions Related terms: give someone the creeps, give someone the willies Translations (a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea): frász (Hungarian), ijedtség (Hungarian), ijedség (Hungarian), ijedelem (Hungarian), rémület (Hungarian), félelem (Hungarian), szorongás (Hungarian), libabőr (Hungarian), borzongás (Hungarian), hidegrázás (Hungarian), borsódzik a háta (tőle) (Hungarian), ciarki [nonvirile] (Polish), yuyu (english: Childish) (Spanish)

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for heebie-jeebies meaning in English (5.3kB)

{
  "etymology_text": "The earliest found occurrences of spelling variants (it is not established whether the first one coined the term or committed to print an earlier oral expression):\n* In 1923, the spelling \"heeby jeebys\" was used by U.S. cartoonist Billy De Beck in his comic strip Barney Google (New York American, 26 October 1923).\n* In 1925, the spelling \"heebee-jeebees\" was used in U.S. magazine Ladies' Home Journal (Vol. 42, Part 2, p. 44).\n* In 1926, the spelling \"heebie jeebies\" was used by U.S. singer Louis Armstrong for his single \"Heebie Jeebies\" (written by Boyd Atkins).\n* In 1928, the spelling \"heebee-geebees\" was used in U.S. article \"We All Have the Heebee-Geebees\" by G. M. Keller of Swift & Company (Modern School Store, Vol. 11, p. 269 via Google Books).\n* In 1956, the spelling \"heeby jeebies\" was used by U.S. singer Little Richard on the cover of his homonymous SP record (and the hyphenated spelling \"heeby-jeebies\" on its vinyl disc itself).",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "p",
        "head": "heebie-jeebies"
      },
      "expansion": "heebie-jeebies pl (plural only)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
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        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English pluralia tantum",
          "parents": [
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            "Nouns",
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          "source": "w"
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          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Emotions",
          "orig": "en:Emotions",
          "parents": [
            "Mind",
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
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          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I don't mind worms, but spiders give me the heebie-jeebies."
        },
        {
          "text": "When I see that weird house, I get the heebie-jeebies."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea."
      ],
      "id": "en-heebie-jeebies-en-noun-Y6HbUGoa",
      "links": [
        [
          "anxiety",
          "anxiety"
        ],
        [
          "fear",
          "fear"
        ],
        [
          "uneasiness",
          "uneasiness"
        ],
        [
          "nausea",
          "nausea"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) A general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "give someone the creeps"
        },
        {
          "word": "give someone the willies"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "creeps"
        },
        {
          "word": "willies"
        },
        {
          "word": "collywobbles"
        },
        {
          "word": "fear"
        },
        {
          "word": "heebee-geebees"
        },
        {
          "word": "heebee geebees"
        },
        {
          "word": "heebeegeebees"
        },
        {
          "word": "heebee-jeebees"
        },
        {
          "word": "heebee jeebees"
        },
        {
          "word": "heebeejeebees"
        },
        {
          "word": "heebie jeebies"
        },
        {
          "word": "heebiejeebies"
        },
        {
          "word": "heeby-jeebies"
        },
        {
          "word": "heeby jeebies"
        },
        {
          "word": "heebyjeebies"
        },
        {
          "word": "heeby-jeebys"
        },
        {
          "word": "heeby jeebys"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal",
        "plural",
        "plural-only"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
          "word": "frász"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
          "word": "ijedtség"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
          "word": "ijedség"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
          "word": "ijedelem"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
          "word": "rémület"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
          "word": "félelem"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
          "word": "szorongás"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
          "word": "libabőr"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
          "word": "borzongás"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
          "word": "hidegrázás"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
          "word": "borsódzik a háta (tőle)"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
          "tags": [
            "nonvirile"
          ],
          "word": "ciarki"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "english": "Childish",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
          "word": "yuyu"
        }
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "Barney Google",
        "Billy De Beck",
        "Boyd Atkins",
        "Heebie Jeebies (composition)",
        "Ladies' Home Journal",
        "Little Richard",
        "Louis Armstrong",
        "New York American",
        "Swift & Company",
        "heebie-jeebies"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈhiː.biːˌdʒiː.biːz/"
    }
  ],
  "word": "heebie-jeebies"
}
{
  "etymology_text": "The earliest found occurrences of spelling variants (it is not established whether the first one coined the term or committed to print an earlier oral expression):\n* In 1923, the spelling \"heeby jeebys\" was used by U.S. cartoonist Billy De Beck in his comic strip Barney Google (New York American, 26 October 1923).\n* In 1925, the spelling \"heebee-jeebees\" was used in U.S. magazine Ladies' Home Journal (Vol. 42, Part 2, p. 44).\n* In 1926, the spelling \"heebie jeebies\" was used by U.S. singer Louis Armstrong for his single \"Heebie Jeebies\" (written by Boyd Atkins).\n* In 1928, the spelling \"heebee-geebees\" was used in U.S. article \"We All Have the Heebee-Geebees\" by G. M. Keller of Swift & Company (Modern School Store, Vol. 11, p. 269 via Google Books).\n* In 1956, the spelling \"heeby jeebies\" was used by U.S. singer Little Richard on the cover of his homonymous SP record (and the hyphenated spelling \"heeby-jeebies\" on its vinyl disc itself).",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "p",
        "head": "heebie-jeebies"
      },
      "expansion": "heebie-jeebies pl (plural only)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "give someone the creeps"
    },
    {
      "word": "give someone the willies"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English 4-syllable words",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
        "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
        "English informal terms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English nouns",
        "English pluralia tantum",
        "English reduplications",
        "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
        "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
        "English terms with redundant head parameter",
        "en:Emotions"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I don't mind worms, but spiders give me the heebie-jeebies."
        },
        {
          "text": "When I see that weird house, I get the heebie-jeebies."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "anxiety",
          "anxiety"
        ],
        [
          "fear",
          "fear"
        ],
        [
          "uneasiness",
          "uneasiness"
        ],
        [
          "nausea",
          "nausea"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) A general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal",
        "plural",
        "plural-only"
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "Barney Google",
        "Billy De Beck",
        "Boyd Atkins",
        "Heebie Jeebies (composition)",
        "Ladies' Home Journal",
        "Little Richard",
        "Louis Armstrong",
        "New York American",
        "Swift & Company",
        "heebie-jeebies"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈhiː.biːˌdʒiː.biːz/"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "creeps"
    },
    {
      "word": "willies"
    },
    {
      "word": "collywobbles"
    },
    {
      "word": "fear"
    },
    {
      "word": "heebee-geebees"
    },
    {
      "word": "heebee geebees"
    },
    {
      "word": "heebeegeebees"
    },
    {
      "word": "heebee-jeebees"
    },
    {
      "word": "heebee jeebees"
    },
    {
      "word": "heebeejeebees"
    },
    {
      "word": "heebie jeebies"
    },
    {
      "word": "heebiejeebies"
    },
    {
      "word": "heeby-jeebies"
    },
    {
      "word": "heeby jeebies"
    },
    {
      "word": "heebyjeebies"
    },
    {
      "word": "heeby-jeebys"
    },
    {
      "word": "heeby jeebys"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
      "word": "frász"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
      "word": "ijedtség"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
      "word": "ijedség"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
      "word": "ijedelem"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
      "word": "rémület"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
      "word": "félelem"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
      "word": "szorongás"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
      "word": "libabőr"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
      "word": "borzongás"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
      "word": "hidegrázás"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
      "word": "borsódzik a háta (tőle)"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
      "tags": [
        "nonvirile"
      ],
      "word": "ciarki"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "english": "Childish",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "a general feeling of anxiety, fear, uneasiness, or nausea",
      "word": "yuyu"
    }
  ],
  "word": "heebie-jeebies"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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