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A.Word.A.Day--heebie-jeebies

heebie-jeebies (HEE-bee JEE-bee-z) noun

Extreme nervousness; jitters, creeps.

[Coined by cartoonist Billy DeBeck (1890-1942) in his comic strip Barney Google. He also coined the term hotsy-totsy.]

"This year, for the first time, the German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, will attend the official D-Day remembrance ceremonies along with the Allied heads of state. His inclusion is not without controversy. Some say it is too soon, even after decades of Franco-German economic ties and student exchanges, and even though it is US foreign policy which is giving the French the heebie-jeebies these days."
Janet Mcallister; D-Day 60 Years On; New Zealand Herald (Auckland); Apr 20, 2004.

"If this guy is giving you the heebie-jeebies, by all means, bring in the big guns (Read: parents)."
Paper Dolls; Unwanted Suitor's Love Letters, Calls Bother Teenager; The Daily News (Longview, Washington); May 3, 2004.

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