fantod

American

[fan-tod] / ˈfæn tɒd /

noun

Usually the fantods a state of extreme nervousness or restlessness; the willies; the fidgets.

We all developed the fantods when the plane was late in arriving.
Sometimes fantods a sudden outpouring of anger, outrage, or a similar intense emotion.

fantod British

/ ˈfæntəd /

noun

crotchety or faddish behaviour
(pl) a state of restlessness or unease

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of fantod

First recorded in 1835–40; of obscure origin; possibly fant(igue) (earlier fantique, perhaps blend of fantasy and frantic; -igue probably by association with fatigue ) + -od(s); -s ³

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

At first it seemed the warm beer was giving Vollie fantod hallucinations, but he’d only drunk the one, nice and slow to let the stomach take it, not even the one, a swig remained in the can he held with fingers that meantime guided the steering wheel.

From The New Yorker

"Cripes, I'd a' thought I seen a fantod on'y I bin teetotal fer a year."

From Project Gutenberg

It's the dreaded Highgollacum fantod from the forest.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023