Got the Heebie-Jeebies…
According to “The Word Origin Calendar” this strange yet familiar word was made up by Billy DeBeck for his comic strip “Barney Google” which debuted in 1919. Dictionary.com defines heebie-jeebies as “a feeling of uneasiness or nervousness; the jitters”. They do not have an entry for a singular heebie-jeebie, but there is a synonym listed as screaming meemies. OK, that clarifies it completely!
World Wide Words states that the original spelling by DeBeck was heeby-jeeby. They also have other interesting information about DeBeck and some of his curious and colorful contributions to our etymological development.
2 Comments so far
Winston, you get me with these word posts everytime. I love it! I’ve been watching the news and seeing the heatwave (there’s a word to play with) is still with you. Here’s a thought of cool relief for you… -mg
Oh, and btw … the address here takes you to another blog where I write: Body Electric, a place that, in light of your “play” with words, might be of some interest to you. Hope to see you pop in sometime.
Thanks for the information on heebie-jeebies! I always wondered where the phrase came from. But, obviously, Dictionary.com has never had the “heebie-jeebies. It’s a bodily reaction to something frightening or revolting, wherein your body actually shivers (with fright).