shpilkes

S1H4P3I1L1K5E1S1
/ˈʃpɪlkɪs/

noun

A state of impatience, agitation, or anxiety.

“This job interview tomorrow gives me shpilkes.”

Similar
on pins and needles
OriginYiddish שפּילקעס ← Italian spilla ← Late Latin spīnula →
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nounshpilkes pl (plural only)
  1. pluralplural onlyA state of impatience, agitation, or anxiety.

    This job interview tomorrow gives me shpilkes.

    Synonyms: on pins and needles

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA state of impatience, agitation, or anxiety.

Similar
on pins and needles
Also see
ants in one's pants

Origin

  1. Late Latinspīnula“little thorn”
  2. Italianspilla
  3. Yiddishשפּילקעס“needles”
  4. Englishshpilkes

Borrowed from Yiddish שפּילקעס (shpilkes, “needles”), ultimately from a Slavic term such as Polish szpilka, which comes from Italian spilla, from Late Latin spīnula (“little thorn”).

More words from Yiddish, Italian, Late Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

shpilkes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shpilkes

MLA

“shpilkes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shpilkes. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shpilkes,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shpilkes.

Source: shpilkes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.