to get one's panties in a pretzel
- idiom
- Informal
- She tends to get her panties in a pretzel when things don't go exactly as planned.
Examples
-
Don't get your panties in a pretzel over small mistakes!
-
She always gets her panties in a pretzel about deadlines.
-
Don't get your panties in a pretzel over a little mistake; it's not the end of the world.
-
Every time there's a small delay, he gets his panties in a pretzel and starts complaining.
-
Don't get your panties in a pretzel over a little mistake; it's not the end of the world.
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Every time there's a small delay, he gets his panties in a pretzel and starts complaining.
-
She tends to get her panties in a pretzel when things don't go exactly as planned.
Synonyms
2
9.9
To become very upset about a small problem
1
9.1
To become upset or worried about small things
1
9.5
Become very upset about something small
To become upset or worried about something not important
To become too upset about a small problem
To become very upset about something small
Get very upset or worried about something small
To become upset over a small problem
To become confused and upset over small things
Antonyms
How Anxious
54
4.6
- Informal
∞
1.0
3
3.8
680
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
get + one + pantie + in + a + pretzel
The expression evokes a humorous, culturally specific image (female underwear twisted like a pretzel) that does not transparently map onto the target meaning 'become overly upset or anxious'; the lexical parts alone do not yield that interpretation for a learner. Although the image hints at being 'twisted' or disturbed, the idiomatic sense is metaphorical and informal, so a B1 learner who only knows the component words would unlikely infer the intended meaning without prior exposure.
Etymology
Get one's panties in a pretzel paints a silly picture of underwear panties twisted up like a pretzel, tight and uncomfortable. That twisted image shows someone is 'twisted up' with worry or anger, so the phrase means 'to become overly upset or anxious'.