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heebie-jeebies

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hee⋅bie-jee⋅bies

[hee-bee-jee-beez]
–noun (used with a plural verb) Slang.
a condition of extreme nervousness caused by fear, worry, strain, etc.; the jitters; the willies (usually prec. by the): Just thinking about ghosts gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Origin:
1905–10, Americanism; rhyming compound coined by W. De Beck (1890–1942), American comic-strip cartoonist
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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hee·bie-jee·bies   (hē'bē-jē'bēz)   
pl.n.   Slang
A feeling of uneasiness or nervousness; the jitters.

[Coined by William De Beck (1890-1942), American cartoonist, in his comic strip Barney Google.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
heebie-jeebies [ˈhibiˈdʒibiz]

and heeby-jeebies
  1. n.
    an extreme case of anxiety or fear. : I have the heebie-jeebies whenever I go to the dentist.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

heebie-jeebies 
1923, said to have been coined by U.S. cartoonist Billy De Beck (1890-1942), creator of "Barney Google."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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