Idiom
Ants in your pants
If you have ants in your pants, you are restless, fidgety or too excited to sit still.
How people use it
It is often said playfully about children before a trip, a party or recess: you've got ants in your pants today. Adults use it about themselves when they're impatient or eager. The usual verb is have or have got. It is informal and a bit silly, so keep it for casual talk. A related word is antsy, which means restless or nervous.
Examples
- The kids have ants in their pants on the last day of school.
- Sam had ants in his pants all morning waiting for the test results.
- Sit down and relax; you've got ants in your pants tonight.
Where it comes from
It is American slang from the 1930s. The picture is obvious: ants crawling inside your clothes would make anyone squirm and jump around. The rhyme of ants and pants helped it catch on.
Check yourself
1. What does it mean if a child has ants in his pants?
Answer: He can't sit still. The idiom describes restlessness or excited fidgeting.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: The puppy had ants in its pants and wouldn't stop running in circles.. The idiom means restless, so sitting calmly for hours does not fit.
Word game fan? See every word hiding in ANTS.