antsy

antsy

English

WOTD – 2 April 2010

Etymology

From ants +‎ -y, as in ants in one's pants. First noted as a rural Southern USA figure of speech in the early 20th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈæn.tsi/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Adjective

antsy (comparative antsier, superlative antsiest)

1. (slang) restless, apprehensive and fidgety
   • 1990, John Updike, Rabbit at Rest:

     The children were antsy and worried […]

Related terms

• ants in one's pants
• have ants in one's pants
• shpilkes

Translations

restless, apprehensive and fidgety

Armenian: անհանգիստ (hy) (anhangist) Dutch: ongerust (nl), opgewonden (nl), rusteloos (nl) Estonian: rahutu, ärevil Finnish: levoton (fi) French: agité (fr), inquiet (fr) German: nervös (de), zappelig (de), kribbelig, hibbelig (de) Italian: nervosetto m Portuguese: inquieto (pt) Russian: беспоко́йный (ru) (bespokójnyj)

See also

• toey

Anagrams

• -nasty, Ansty, Nasty, Santy, Tansy, Yants, nasty, tansy

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Malagasy

Noun

antsy

1. knife

Derived terms

• antsibe (“cleaver; axe; hatchet; billhook”)
• antsiben' Andriamanitra (“rainbow”)
• antsifotsy (“sword”)
• antsipika (“pocket knife; penknife”)