collywobbles

Meaning

1. (British, humorous, informal, plural, plural-only) A stomach ache or an upset stomach.
2. (British, broadly, humorous, informal, plural, plural-only) Anxiety, fear, uneasiness.

Synonyms

cholera morbus

bellyache

dither

jitters

tremble

trepidation

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkɒlɪwɒb(ə)lz/

Etymology

Probably from colic (“severe pains that grip the abdomen”) + wobble (“unsteady motion”). Alternatively, it has been suggested that the word derives from colly (“coal dust”) (in the sense of someone becoming ill from breathing in such dust), or that it is a corruption of cholera.