collywobbles (plural only)
noun (informal)

- A feeling of being slightly sick or nervous because you are worried or frightened about something.

- Pain in the abdomen and especially in the stomach — often used with “the”.

- A feeling of nervousness, fear, or uneasiness in the stomach.


Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Cambridge Dictionary

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ORIGIN

The word collywobbles is a wonderfully whimsical term for stomach pain, queasiness, or nervous butterflies, and its etymology is fittingly playful.

The word emerged in the mid-19th century (around the 1820s-1840s) and appears to be a fanciful formation, likely combining: "Colic" - pain in the abdomen or bowels (from Greek kolikos, relating to the colon), and "Wobble" - suggesting unsteadiness or a shaky feeling

The "-wobbles" part gives it a humorous, informal quality that matches the somewhat silly sound of the word. It's part of a tradition in English of creating jovial, reduplicative, or rhyming words for bodily complaints.

The word originally referred specifically to intestinal disturbance or stomach upset, but over time it expanded to include the nervous, fluttery feeling in your stomach when you're anxious or apprehensive - what we might now call "butterflies in the stomach."

It's worth noting that "collywobbles" is much more common in British English than American English, though speakers on both sides of the Atlantic would generally understand it. The word has a delightfully old-fashioned, slightly comic quality that makes it endure despite - or perhaps because of - its silliness.

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SYNONYMS

anxiety, ants in pants, apprehension, butterflies, butterfly stomach, COLLYWOBBLES, disquiet, edginess, fluttery feeling, jitters, jim-jams, jumpiness, misgiving, nervousness, queasiness, queasy stomach, the heebie-jeebies, the jitters, the screaming abdabs, the screaming meemies, the willies, uneasiness, unrest, whim-whams, wobbly knees

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CALMING COLLYWOBBLES

A good way to overcome collywobbles is to read or say positive, calming words. Try these and notice how your mood changes:

Arcady, at ease, at peace, balm for the soul, bed of roses, bliss, blue skies, breathe easy, buttercup day, calm currents, calmness, calm waters, carefree, clear skies, comfort zone, composed, confident, content, coolheaded, cozy corner, coziness, cradle of calm, Elysium, equanimity, equilibrium, even keel, exultation, feather-light, featherbed, fireside warmth, fit as a fiddle, floating on a cloud, gentle breeze, gentle rain, gentle waves, gentle whisper, gentleness, golden hour, happy place, haven, home and hearth, honeyed words, hunky-dory, idyll, inner peace, joie de vivre, jollies, lightness of being, lullaby, meadow calm, mellow moments, mellowness, mental repose, milk and honey, moonlight hush, nirvana, oasis, on cloud nine, paradise, peace and quiet, peaceful heart, peaceful slumber, peacefulness, perfect contentment, placidity, poise, pure bliss, quiet confidence, quiet strength, quietude, restful, restfulness, right as rain, safe and sound, safe harbour, safe haven, sanctuary, sangfroid, self-assurance, self-control, self-possession, serenely still, serenity, Shangri-La, silver lining, sitting pretty, smooth sailing, snug, soft glow, soft, softness, soothing presence, soothing balm, soothingness, steady as a rock, steady hand, still haven, stillness, summer breeze, sunny meadow, sunshine and rainbows, sureness, sweet comfort, sweet dreams, sweet serenity, sweet spot, symphony of calm, taking it easy, tender calm, tenderness, tickety-boo, top of the world, tranquil haven, tranquility, transports of delight, upbeat, velvet touch, vibrancy, walking on air, warm embrace, warm fuzzies, well-being, wholesomeness, whisper of peace, Zen

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SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation today, say something like:

“It’s quite natural to get the COLLYWOBBLES before a new job interview, but they disappear once you get started.”

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HERZLICHEN DANK to all readers helping me keep OWAD alive with single or monthly donations at:

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and,

Paul Smith, IBAN: DE75 7316 0000 0002 5477 40