Put the wind up

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Meaning

To spook or rattle someone, all nerves.

Origin

From 20th-century Britain, tied to slang; 'wind up' for scare, by 1910s in a tale for spook. A 1920s 'Times' uses it for a fright.

Variants

  • Wind up

Usage Examples

  • That put the wind up me-scary!
  • Put the wind up him; jumpy now.
  • Wind up; spooked good.

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