afraid of one's own shadow



afraid of one's own shadow

Very timid and fearful, as in Richard constantly worries about security; he's afraid of his own shadow. This hyperbole has been used in English since the early 1500s, and some writers believe it originated in ancient Greece.
See also: afraid, of, own, shadow

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Ilija-Macedonian, Serbian, Croatian, Bulgarian
JadziaYAH-jahPolish
Buchanan[bju:'kænən]
Natanielnah-tah-NYEL (Spanish)Spanish, Portuguese
Mariette-French
Saba-Georgian