a show of nerves

A display or demonstration of one's nervousness or anxiety. There was no show of nerves in her first appearance in a championship match. Instead, the 17-year-old prodigy looked like a seasoned professional. The candidate's performance during the debate was dominated by a show of nerves, as he stammered and fumbled his way through each question. A show of nerves doomed the contestant's performance in the talent show—I think she hit more wrong notes on the piano than right ones.