bundle of nerves

English

Pronunciation

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Noun

bundle of nerves (plural bundles of nerves)

(idiomatic) A person with an especially nervous, excitable, or fearful disposition.
- 1876, Thomas Hardy, chapter 22, in The Hand of Ethelberta: A Comedy in Chapters […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:
  Being in point of fact a complete bundle of nerves and nothing else, his thin figure shook like a harp-string in painful excitement at a contretemps which would scarcely have quickened the pulse of an ordinary man.
- 1972 March 27, “Sudsy Whiff of Humanity”, in Time‎^[1], New York, N.Y.: Time Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC:
  She is a jittery bundle of nerves rather than the tough stoic she ought to be.
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(idiomatic, dated) A lively, continually active person.
- 1883 November 5, “Talk Across the Table”, in The New York Times‎^[2], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, retrieved 15 Apr. 2009, page 4:
  "Come and take lunch with me." The speaker was a walking, talking bundle of nerves, clothed in black broadcloth. A flawless diamond sparkled on the scarlet scarf that peeped above his close-fitting Prince Albert coat, and a pair of roguish eyes danced above two rosy cheeks.
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- 1914 October – 1916 July, Edgar Rice Burroughs, chapter 8, in The Mucker, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., published 31 October 1921, →OCLC:
  He found Pesita pacing back and forth before his tent—an energetic bundle of nerves which no amount of hard riding and fighting could tire or discourage.

Synonyms

(nervous, excitable, fearful person): bag of nerves, worrywart; see also Thesaurus:worrier or Thesaurus:coward
(lively, continually active person): bundle of energy; See also Thesaurus:doer

Translations

nervous person — see bag of nerves