a bundle of nerves

Meaning: A very anxious or nervous person.

Example: “Before the interview I was a bundle of nerves.”

Origin: The body pictured as nothing but tightly bound nerves. The phrase is common from the 19th century.

Equivalents in other languages

if ifs and buts were candy and nuts A retort to someone dwelling on what might have been: wishing and hypothesizing change no…
if my aunt had balls, she'd be my uncle A crude retort to pointless speculation: change enough facts and anything becomes true, s…
cast a pall over To make a gathering or occasion suddenly gloomy or subdued, usually because of bad news o…
and that's not the half of it Said after listing troubles or surprises to signal that there is even more, often worse,…
dead as a doornail Completely dead, or completely finished, with no chance of revival.
be in for it To be certain to get into trouble or be punished.

Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? A 'w/ch/ck' drill that accelerates comically — and nobody really knows the answer.
The sixth sick sheikh's sixth sheep's sick. Believed by Guinness to be among the hardest in English — 'six/sick/sheikh/sheep' blur in…
Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter's bitter. A 'b / t / tt' plosive drill that bounces between Betty, butter, and bitter.

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