have ants in the/(one's) pants
1. To be unable to sit still, due to anxiety, excess energy, or impatience. The kids really have ants in the pants today, so I'm going to take them to the playground. A: "Why is Carrie pacing?" B: "She's waiting for her doctor to call, so she's had ants in her pants all day." The students all seemed to have ants in their pants as they waited for the exam to start.
2. To be interested in or in pursuit of sexual activity. You've been single for a while now—don't you have ants in the pants yet? I haven't seen my girlfriend in weeks, so of course I have ants in my pants! I hope to spend most of her visit in bed! A: "How can you tell that those two haven't been dating for very long?" B: "Because they still have ants in their pants around each other."
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
ants in one's pants, have
1. Be extremely restless, uneasy, impatient, or anxious, as in This child just can't sit still; she must have ants in her pants. This rhyming idiom calls up a vivid image of what might cause one to be jumpy. [Slang; 1920s]
2. Be eager for sexual activity, as in Bill's got ants in his pants for Rita. This usage is less common today. [Slang; 1920s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.