Swivet

Word of the Day for Friday, March 29, 2013

Swivet \SWIV-it\, noun:

a state of nervous excitement, haste, or anxiety; flutter: I was in such a swivet that I could hardly speak.

This sent her into a larger swivet, but its ferocity now didn't faze Susan. She now knew the deal.
-- Douglas Coupland, Miss Wyoming, 2010

Benny had warned Patsy about this; the mother, he said, was in a swivet about the plea.
-- Michelle Huneven, Blame, 2010

Swivet is of unknown origin. While American English speakers started using this term in the late 1800s, it didn’t cross the pond to the UK until the 1920s.

Thanks to: www.dictionary.com