Oi! Brits!

[averygoodun42]

What's a good, slangy, British way to say completely freaked out?

Or rather:

Pardon me, but I was wondering if there was a particular way of describing a person flipping their wig over there in the Isles. If you would be ever so kind to let me know, I would appreciate it greatly.

;-)


Thank you in advance!

Comments

[windypoint.livejournal.com]

I don't think there are a lot of British terms for that condition, in part because they try to discourage that sort of behavior.

[shiv5468.livejournal.com]

Well, ones does, but one also has terms to describe those of a floppy upper lip....


You could try -

shitting bricks, wearing brown trousers / knickers, squeaky bum time, acting like a fart in a colander, in a flap, flapping,

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

Ooh! I'll have to put those away somewhere where I'll remember them. Though perhaps I was asking the wrong question.

How about someone who is scared shitless?

[shiv5468.livejournal.com]

That's brown trousers, or shitting bricks.

[shiv5468.livejournal.com]

Running round like a headless chicken is another one that comes to mind.

[windypoint.livejournal.com]

Being "all of a tizz wazz" sort of works too... but there's really nothing I can think of as violent in description as the American words for condition are.

Maybe it is an occasion for showing not telling, maybe get another character to offer a cup of tea and a sit down?

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, the person freaking out is not around anyone who could offer a cuppa.

[cocoachristy.livejournal.com]

Ah! We say Shitting Bricks here too!

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

Yes we do! And such a colorful phrase it is!

[dickgloucester.livejournal.com]

Doing their nut, in a tizzy,

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

Doing their nut... that's a good one. Won't work, but I'll definitely have to store it away for future reference.

[randomchris.livejournal.com]

I'd say "he/she was in a tizzy". This is a general state of concern, usually when you're in a dilemma about something and instead of solving the poblem, react by running around frantically and panicking about it. Does that work?

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

How about when you react by completely freezing up?

[randomchris.livejournal.com]

Petrified?

[ashfae.livejournal.com]

Go spare, possibly. That implies someone being angry to the point of incoherence, sorta.

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

I'd forgotten about that one. Is good. Unfortunately, I want the 'fear to the point of incomprehension/competence' type of freaking out. ;-)

[ashfae.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Shitting bricks would be it, though it's awfully crude. Gone round the bend? He's got the screaming abdabs?

[camillo1978.livejournal.com]

Heya, awfully late to the party but I like questions like this...

Freezing up: "frozen like a rabbit in the headlights" (don't ask me why "the headlights" it just is that way) "absolutely petrified".

Flipping out in an ohmygodohmygodohmygod way: "in a tizzy" "going absolutely spare" "going completely nutters" "going apeshit" "getting the heebie-jeebies" (last one is when you're spooked out too)

Terrified: "scared shitless" "shitting bricks"

[camillo1978.livejournal.com]

Oh, I agree, "screaming abdabs" is a good one!