Halloween è una delle feste più popolari nei paesi di lingua inglese. Ad esempio, la Village Halloween Parade di New York è una vera e propria istituzione e un evento da vedere una volta nella vita!
La paura ha lasciato il segno nella cultura anglosassone ma anche nella lingua stessa, il che spiega perché ci sono così tanti modi di dire inglesi per parlare di… paura!
Ecco 10 espressioni su paura e terrore che potrebbero tornarti utili per esprimerti come un madrelingua con tanto di esempio e contesto
🦇Creep (someone) out
Meaning: to cause (someone) to have an uncomfortable feeling of nervousness or fear
Example: That guy really creeps me out
😵 Make your blood run cold
Meaning: This comes from the shivers we experience by the shock of something scary happening to us.
Example: I heard a tapping on the window which made my blood run cold
⚰️ It sent shivers down my spine
Meaning: something or someone has made you feel frightened to an extent where you’ll get that tingling feeling in your body.
Example: Hearing that the killer escaped prison sent shivers down my spine
🕸️ Make the hairs on the back of one’s neck stand up
Meaning: to scare or horrify someone
Example: Just the thought of going into that abandoned building makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck
💀 The Heebie-Jeebies
Meaning: strong feelings of fear or worry
Example: Don’t start talking about ghosts, they give me the heebie-jeebies
👻 Scared Stiff
Meaning: to get so scared that you are not able to move
Example: I was scared stiff when I heard strange noises in my room last night
😰 Scare The Pants Off Someone
Meaning: to frighten or to scare someone a lot
Example: You scared the pants off me, I wasn’t expecting to see you here!
🧟 Scaredy cat
Meaning: someone who is easily frightened
Example: Don’t be such a scaredy cat… skydiving is fun!
🧙♀️Scare the hell out of someone
Meaning: to frighten or shock someone very much (often this is a sudden scare)
Example: A loud noise downstairs scared the hell out of me last night and I decided to call the police
🎃 Be bricking it (British slang – vulgar)
Meaning: to feel very nervous or frightened
Example: Of course I was bricking it when I woke up to the sounds of an intruder in my house!
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