willies
Meanings
Plural: the willies
Noun
- feelings of uneasiness
- "that guy gave me the willies"
- plural of willy
- A feeling of nervousness or fear.
Origin / 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. Or it might be a play on words relating to the ballet Giselle, performed in Paris in 1846, where the stage is flooded by the Wilis, who are the spooky, ephemeral, beautiful but evil ghosts of virgins who died before their wedding day. Watching the Wilis in Giselle is meant to give you the willies. Most English speakers pronounce 'Wilis' as 'willies'.
Synonyms
collywobbles, creeps, fear, heebie-jeebies
Scrabble Score: 10
willies is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL wordwillies is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
willies is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary