having kittens
In anxious distress
Having kittens means being extremely agitated, nervous, or upset—often about something that turns out fine: My mother was having kittens when I didn't call to say I'd be late.
The expression is primarily British and suggests frantic, excessive worry.
A variant is have a kitten for a single episode of anxiety: Don't have a kitten, it's just a scratch on the car.
- uptightAnxiously rigid in manner
- panickedOverwhelmed by sudden fear
- anxiousTroubled by uncertainty
- fretfulAnxiously irritable
- nervousUneasy and apprehensive
nervous wreck · bundle of nerves · stressed · overwhelmed · in a tizzy · hysterical · flustered · beside oneself · anxiety · in a state · cold feet · fearfulness · freaking out · losing it · losing one's mind · apprehension · tension · agitated
having kittenskeeping cool
keeping one's cool · calm as a cucumber · cool as a cucumber · composed · unruffled
have, having, haves, kitten, kittens, kitty, kitties, catlike