Fear and cowardice

Colloquial phrases connected with the idea of fear include

the following:

to get the wind up — to be frightened

Oh, the reason is clear. He lost his nerve. Got the wind up suddenly. (A. Chr.) Race suggested: "She may have recognized the stole as hers, got the wind up, and thrown the whole bag of tricks over on that account." (A. Chr.) "Shut up, Larkin, and don't get the wind up." (R. A.)

to put the wind up a person — to frighten him; to make him scared

I could put the wind up him by talking of that paper he had the copy wrapped in. (V. L.) That horror film is enough to put the wind up even the bravest man. (W. B.)

to have one's heart in one's mouth — to be in a state of tension or fear

Mary had her heart in her mouth when she heard the explosion in the workshop. (K. H.) My heart was in my mouth when I approached him. (A. Chr.)

to have one's heart in the boots — to be in a state of extreme depression and fear

Utter dejection or dismay may be also described thus: his heart sank (sank into his boots).

The driver had his heart in his boots when we lost our way in the desert and ran short of petrol. (K. H.)

His heart sank. He felt like turning away, a

beaten dog. (A. C.)

Mr. Squales' heart sank as he realized what it

was that he had done. (N. C.)

... when I returned home from dining at the

Inn; my heart sank. (C. S.)

A turn is colloquial for a nervous shock, hence:

to give a person a nasty (bad) turn — to shock or frighten

him

It gave him a nasty turn, but he put on a bold

front. (S. M.)

You gave us a bad turn, old thing. (J. G.)

to be scared stiff — to be terrified

to scare someone stiff — to terrify him

To be scared out of one's wits (senses) and to scare someone

out of one's wits (senses) are similarly used.

Organisation. Clever, such organisation. In a

group, you don't dare to admit that you're scared

stiff and that you want to go home. (S. H.)

"You don't seem worried, " Pyle said.

"I'm scared stiff — but things are better than

they might be." (Gr. Gr.)

When the blow fell it is not strange that she was

scared out of her wits. (S. M.)

A person in a state of extreme fear is colloquially said to be in a funk (blue funk); to funk (+ gerund) is to refuse to act through cowardice; to fail to do something through fear; to fear, to be afraid.

Each morning he climbed the stairs to the office in a state of blue funk and all day he was like a cat on hot bricks. (M. E. M.) You're in a funk. Pull yourself together. It's all right I tell you. (A. Chr.) Before I went to bed I found I was funking open­ing the front door to look out. (H. W.) "Let's walk as far as the park. I wanted to ask you about Jack Muskham." "I funk telling him." (J. G.)

The coward is said to have no guts (to do something); to have guts is to possess courage.

It's all you can expect of a chap like that. He's got no guts. (C. S.)

Go on and do it, you lady's man. Show you've got guts. (N. C.)

to show the white feather — to exhibit cowardice

The young recruit had boasted of his bravery; but when the first bullets whizzed past his ears, he showed the white feather. (K. H.) It was reported... he... had certainly shown the white feather in his regiment. (W. Th.)

Other phrases in common use are:

to give one the creeps — to cause one to have sensation

of fear and horror (or strong dislike)

The Square was too big for one woman to have all to herself. It was like taking a midnight walk on the moon. It gave Connie the creeps. (N. C.)

Let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps. (P. Ch.)

The jittersis colloquial for a state of fear, excitement or other mental tension. Hence to have (get) the jit­ters— to be in (get into) a panic, frightened or nervous. Also: to get (be) jittery (jumpy).

She laughed with a sort of shamed apology. "All right, darling. If you really have the jitters, we'll go to a movie." (M. W.) Many people get the jitters at examination time. (W. B.)

He'd got the jitters and didn't mind who knew it. (N. C.)

He was worried, wasn't he? Not that worried described it. He was excited. And jittery. (N. C.) "Why, you're all of a tremble, Mr. Brown!" said Miss Spinks sympathetically. "What's get­ting you down? You're not usually jumpy like this." (M. E. M.) George was very jittery all last week. (M, E. M.)

to give somebody the shivers — to cause a sensation of fear in him, to frighten him

You know, you think "my turn next" and it gives you the shivers. (A. Chr.) "You appeared so suddenly that it gave me the shivers, " she said. (A. Chr.)

to get (have) cold feet — to be afraid, to lose courage

He... urged me to go ahead not to faint or get cold feet. (Th. D.)

When one of the mountaineers saw the steep rock, he had cold feet, and went back to the refuge. (K. H.)

Some proverbs dealing with cowardice and fear: Cowards die many times before their deaths. (Cowards experience many times the fear of dying.) He daren't say "Boo" to a goose. (He is so timid and cowardly that he dare not frighten away a goose if it threatens him. The proverb is quoted to describe any very timid person.) Faint heart never won a fair lady. (A fair lady cannot be won in marriage unless the man shows courage.) The proverb comes out in favour of boldness in the pursuit of romance.

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