willies

English

Etymology

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.

Noun

willies

1. Plural form of willy
2. (colloquial, with "the") A feeling of nervousness or fear.

   Staying in the haunted house gave me the willies.

   He knows a bad case of the willies will be our first response.

   Well, the only way I can describe it is just the willies. Like, somebody's watching me.

   • 1974, Joseph Heller, Something happened, page 3:

     I get the willies when I see closed doors. Even at work, where I am doing so well now, the sight of a closed door is sometimes enough to make me dread that something horrible is happening behind it, something that is going to affect me adversely.

References

• “willies” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).