fidget
verb

- to make continuous small movements which annoy other people

- to nervously play around with an object with the hands

noun

- a person who fidgets


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WORD ORIGIN

Fidget derived from the 16th century word "fidge", meaning to move restlessly, and has its roots in one of the Scandinavian languages (Swedish fikja = move briskly).

Scientists working in the United States and Germany claim to have found a molecule, which could be responsible for how fidgety people are. During experiments on mice, the scientists found a slice of genome which they believe accounts for the tendency to move around restlessly.

The good news is, mice with this gene are less likely to be overweight than their more relaxed counterparts, according to the research. The lead researcher said those who fidget are getting valuable daily exercise even without knowing it.

"We sit at our computers and our feet are still moving even we work at the computer. Clearly people who have the more fidgeting type of molecule are more protected against diet-induced obesity than people who are more calm."

Need to lose a few pounds? Just fidget!

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SYNONYMS

be antsy, be hyper, be nervous, be spooked, be wired, bustle, chafe, fiddle, fret, fuss, hitch, jiggle, jitter, joggle, jump, play, squirm, stir, toss, trifle, twiddle, twitch, wiggle, worry

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ANTONYMS

chill out, ease up, laze around, loll, lounge around, recline, relax, repose, rest, sit still, take it easy, take five, take ten, unwind


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SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation
say something like:

"One shouldn't FIDGET whilst presenting - it makes audiences think we're nervous."