to get one's panties in a bunch
4
9.9
- idiom
- Informal
:
alterarse
- She tends to get her panties in a bunch over minor issues at work.
Examples
-
Hey, don't get your panties in a bunch.
-
So don't go get your panties in a bunch over this guy.
-
You got your panties in a bunch?
-
But, before you get your panties in a bunch, hear me out.
Blog text (9) -
If you have more spiritual ambitions, there is no reason to get your panties in a bunch over it.
Blog text (32) -
Don't get your panties in a bunch.
-
We don't want the dean to get his panties in a bunch.
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The remarks of a teenage girl at a grocery store are not really something to get your panties in a bunch about.
Blog text (19) -
You're getting your panties in a bunch over something that isn't even a problem...
Blog text (20) -
But there are still too many nice people here who get their panties in a bunch over what they perceive as 'bad manners' or 'poor etiquette' in posting comments.
Blog text (19)
Synonyms
22
3.0
Complain loudly about something small
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
9.6
To become very worried or upset about small things
1
9.6
To become too angry or upset about small things
1
9.5
Become very upset about something small
To become very upset or worried about a small problem
Get very upset or worried about something small
To become very upset about something small
Get very upset and confused quickly
To become upset over a small problem
To become confused and upset over small things
To feel very irritated or upset about something small
To become angry or upset
Antonyms
How Upset
Surface Forms
Morphology
get + one + pantie + in + a + bunch
The phrase evokes a physical image (underwear becoming 'bunched' and therefore uncomfortable) that can metaphorically suggest agitation, so a learner who knows the constituents might partly infer a sense of being upset. However the expression is colloquial, culture-specific and relies on pragmatic knowledge about the metaphorical mapping from physical discomfort to emotional upset, so the precise meaning 'become overly upset about something trivial' is not fully predictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
Get one's panties in a bunch may come from the image of underwear, panties, being twisted up into a tight bunch, which would feel uncomfortable and make someone fidget or feel annoyed. So the phrase means 'to get too upset or annoyed', often about something small.