bright-eyed and bushy-tailed

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed

Energetic and enthusiastic. After that nap, I am bright-eyed and bushy-tailed! As usual, the new interns are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed—just watching them is exhausting.See also: and

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed

Fig. awake and alert. (Often used ironically, as in the first example. The idea is that one is like a frisky animal, such as a squirrel.) Jill: Hi, Jane! How are you on this beautiful morning? Jane: Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, just as you might expect, since I've only had three hours of sleep. Despite the early hour, Dennis was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.See also: and

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed

Eager and alert, as in Here is my new kindergarten class, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. The allusion here is to the appearance of a squirrel, which with its beady eyes and bushy tail looks ready for anything. [1930s] See also: and

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed

If someone is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, they are healthy and full of energy. But for now, go and sleep awhile. I need you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed tomorrow. This will be a busy year, so you need to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to cope. Note: The comparison in this expression is to a squirrel. See also: and

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed

alert and lively; eager. informalSee also: and

ˌbright-eyed and ˌbushy-ˈtailed

(informal) lively and cheerful; pleased and proud: She came in to see me, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and announced she was leaving the next day.See also: and

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed

mod. alert and ready to do something; as alert and as active as a squirrel. You look all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning. See also: and

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed

Lively and perky, energetic and enthusiastic. The expression is American in origin and undoubtedly comes from anthropomorphizing the squirrel, with its beady eyes and upright bushy tail. It dates from about 1930.See also: and