butterflies in one's stomach

Fluttering sensations caused by a feeling of nervous anticipation. For example, I always get butterflies in my stomach before making a speech. This term likens a nervous feeling to that resulting from swallowing live butterflies that fly about inside one. [c. 1900]

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Ellen	['elin]
Holly	HAHL-ee	English
Aristide	ah-ree-STEE-de (Italian)	French, Italian
Ferdy	FUR-dee	English
Burton	['bə:tn]
Lefteris	-	Greek