Wound Up
In Southern and Appalachian speech, "wound up" means irritated, worked up, or agitated with fussing energy. It’s used when someone is already upset and close to scolding or letting off steam.
#SouthernWords #Appalachia #PeopleandRelationships #Southern
synonyms: worked up, upset, irritated, agitated, keyed up
Hillbilly Dude Says...
"Don’t tell Momma he left his bicycle in the rain-she’s already wound up about the tricycle." Pronunciation
[WOUND UP] /waʊnd ʌp/
Meaning & Usage
- Irritated, worked up (adjective)
Clara:
Don’t get your daddy started.
Don’t get your daddy started.
Elmer:
Too late-he’s already wound up about the truck.
Too late-he’s already wound up about the truck.variations: wound-up
Origin
From the image of a spring that’s been wound too tightly. The figurative use is widespread in English, but in Southern and Appalachian speech it carries a stronger sense of irritation and fussing rather than simple nervousness or excitement.
Notes
- Outside the South, wound up often means "excited" or "nervous." In the South/Appalachia, it more often means "irritated" or "worked up."
- Frequently used in family contexts about parents or kinfolk being upset.
- Closely related to keyed up, but with more of a fussing/irritated edge.