heebie-jeebies

American  

[hee-bee-jee-beez] / ˈhi biˈdʒi biz /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. Usually the heebie-jeebies a condition of extreme nervousness caused by fear, worry, strain, etc.; the jitters; the willies.

   Just thinking about ghosts gives me the heebie-jeebies.

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heebie-jeebies British  

/ ˈhiːbɪˈdʒiːbɪz /

plural noun

1. slang apprehension and nervousness

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Etymology

Origin of heebie-jeebies

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25; rhyming compound coined by W. De Beck (1890–1942), American comic-strip cartoonist

Example Sentences

Darwin’s confessed heebie-jeebies about the unmolested eye hints that this response is related to something primal.

From Salon

That is a double dose of the heebie-jeebies delivered in one day to nervous Tories.

From BBC

"I'm a bit of a clean freak and when I come in here it gives me the heebie-jeebies. I just can't wait to get out of here."

From BBC

And then Josie had had to pretend she was laughing at the word “heebie-jeebies,” not the idea that Max was surrounded by whatnot androids all the time, and he didn’t even know it.

From Literature

Yes, they are possessed of 15 MPs - just 2.3% of Parliament's total - but a string of by-election victories over the Conservatives has given dozens of Tories a blast of the heebie-jeebies.

From BBC