ants in one's pants
Meaning: Restless, unable to sit still.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The kids have ants in their pants before the school trip.”
Category: Animals
Origin: As if ants were crawling inside one's clothes. American slang from the 1920s and 1930s.
Equivalents in other languages
- German: Hummeln im Hintern haben — literally: To have bumblebees in your behind
- Spanish: ser culo de mal asiento — literally: to be bottom of bad seat
- French: Être piqué de la tarentule — literally: To be bitten by the tarantula
- French: Avoir le feu au cul — literally: To have fire in one's backside
More idioms — Animals
- blistering barnacles — A comic exclamation of surprise or anger.
- a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush — It is better to keep what you have than risk it for something more uncertain.
- hightail it — To leave in a great hurry.
- you could have knocked me down with a feather — I was extremely surprised.
- like a rat in a trap — Trapped with no way to escape.
- like the cat that got the cream — Very pleased with oneself.
More English idioms
- let's hit the road — Let's leave; let's get going.
- gone with the wind — Gone forever, vanished without a trace.
- without fanfare — Quietly, without any publicity.
- a Herculean task — An extremely difficult job requiring huge effort.
- on the sidelines — Not taking an active part; left out.
- a stab in the back — A betrayal by someone one trusted.