to get your shorts in a knot
- idiom
- Informal
:
ponerse nervioso
- Don't get your shorts in a knot over the small details!
Examples
-
You shouldn't get your shorts in a knot about things you can't control.
-
He tends to get his shorts in a knot whenever plans change unexpectedly.
-
Don't get your shorts in a knot over a simple misunderstanding.
-
Why do you always get your shorts in a knot about everything?
-
Don't get your shorts in a knot over a simple misunderstanding.
-
He tends to get his shorts in a knot whenever plans change unexpectedly.
-
You shouldn't get your shorts in a knot about things you can't control.
Synonyms
4
9.9
To become too upset about a small problem
3
7.7
Feel nervous and tense in stressful situations
2
9.1
To become upset or worried about small things
2
9.9
To become very upset about a small problem
1
9.8
To become upset or worried about something not important
1
7.9
To become very confused and anxious because you worry too much
1
9.5
Become very upset about something small
To become very upset about something small
To become upset over a small problem
To become very upset or worried about a small problem
To become confused and upset over small things
Antonyms
How Upset
- Informal
11
6.8
- Informal
19
8.4
- Informal
362
1.0
77
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
get + your + shorts + in + a + knot
The element 'knot' (to tangle) plus the pattern 'get ... in a knot' gives a metaphorical sense of becoming twisted up or tense, so part of the idiom's meaning can be guessed from the constituents. However, the presence of 'shorts' (a piece of clothing) is arbitrary and the overall colloquial sense 'become overly upset about something trivial' is not fully predictable from the literal words, so a B1 learner would not reliably infer the exact meaning without prior exposure.
Etymology
The idiom get your shorts in a knot may come from the image of your shorts getting twisted into a tight knot, which would make you move around and feel uncomfortable. So it means 'to become overly upset or anxious'.