willies
A feeling of nervousness or fearA feeling of nervousness or fear.
Meaning
1 senses(colloquial, plural, plural only)A feeling of nervousness or fear.
Staying in the haunted house gave me the willies.
- feelings of uneasiness
Origin
The meaning "spell of nervousness", recorded since 1896, stems perhaps from the woollies,The meaning "spell of nervousness", recorded since 1896, stems perhaps from the woollies, a dialectal term for "nervous uneasiness", probably in reference to the physical itchiness of wool garments. Or it might be a play on words relating to the ballet Giselle, performed in Paris in 1846, where the stage is flooded by the Wilis, who are the spooky, ephemeral, beautiful but evil ghosts of virgins who died before their wedding day. Watching the Wilis in Giselle is meant to give you the willies. Most English speakers pronounce 'Wilis' as 'willies'.
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Forms
plural: the willies| Singular | willies |
|---|---|
| Plural | the willies |
irregular