case of the jitters

case of the jitters

A temporary state of nervous anxiety or anticipation. Marty: "Are you ready to deliver your speech?" Anthony: "Yeah. I've got a bad case of the jitters though!"
See also: case, jitter, of
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • jitter
  • the jitters
  • get the jitters
  • get/have the jitters
  • live on (one's) nerves
  • live on your nerves
  • on tenterhooks
  • tenterhook
  • keep (one) on tenterhooks
  • keep on tenterhooks
References in periodicals archive
Saints had a case of the jitters with keeper Zander Clark miskicking a clearance straight to Dorley - who mishit his attempt to loft the ball into an empty goal.
DEJA BLUE FOR SAINTS; EUROPA LEAGUE PERTH MEN HAVE IT ALL TO DO Lithuanian hoodoo strikes again as punishing Silenas goal piles on misery for Tommy's men
Mental fragility Tommy Elphick's case of the jitters has been a worrying development in recent weeks, but it is unfair to single out the captain.
IMPORTANT PRIORITIES; FIVE KEY AREAS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED IF VILLA ARE TO HAVE A CHANCE OF GETTING THEIR SEASON ON TRACK
THEY might still be second in the Championship, but Middlesbrough's tally of just two points from their last four games has led to a severe case of the jitters around the Riverside.
STEADY STEVE'S THE TOPS SAYS KARANKA; LEEDS UTD v MIDDLESBRO
The stock market couldn't shake off a case of the jitters from last week and closed sharply lower again on Monday.
Stocks slide late; Dow down 223
The last thing President Obama wants to do right now is worsen world financial markets' current case of the jitters, so his nomination Wednesday of Janet Yellen to succeed Ben Bernanke as head of the Federal Reserve sent a calming signal of continuity.
A shift at the Fed
Stocks got a case of the jitters on Wall Street, and halfway around the world China stressed the importance for the international economy of raising the US debt limit.
Debt limit overtaking shutdown as US crisis focus
A enterprising first hour and goals either side of the break by Seb Hines and Merouane Zemmama put Boro in complete control before they they suffered a late case of the jitters.
Boro effort bodes well for the future
NEW YORK: After a strong first quarter, Wall Street has gotten a case of the jitters.
Earnings, Fed expected to prove sceptics wrong
Summary: After a strong first quarter, Wall Street has gotten a case of the jitters.
Fed to prove sceptics wrong
In his remarks, Padak, who admitted having a case of the jitters "since I did not want to make a mistake and flub my speech" cited the "honor and a privilege" of a CU leader "to stand before you and open today's NASDAQ on behalf of the Defense Credit Union Council and its member credit unions, whose daily support of the greatest Americans of all, our troops and their families-is genuinely without equal."
Defense council sings: if we can make it there ..
It's just a case of the jitters. But you don't need Kipp to tell you why all this matters.
What's spooked the markets?
Cardiff started like the Polar Express and never really loosened their icy grip on Aidy Boothroyd's Sky Blues, even if they did have an understandable case of the jitters midway through the second half as the scoreline remained almost inexplicably at 1-0.
Boxing clever as Bellamy shows best to help freeze out the Sky Blues
JEMMA LOWE overcame a serious case of the jitters to claim 100m butterfly bronze.
Lowe beats butterflies to claim swimming bronze
Jemma Lowe overcame a serious case of the jitters to claim 100m butterfly bronze - and breathed a huge sigh of relief that it was over.
Tynan glad to have gained experience; SWIMMING
But global markets developed a case of the jitters last week after eight months of relative calm, reflecting a bit of uncertainty about the health of the economy and what that might mean for central banks' ultra-loose policies.
A glimpse into the mind of the Fed