ɡɛt aʊt əv ðə rɒŋ saɪd əv bɛd
Emotions
informal
intermediate
- Literally:
- To exit a bed from an unusual or incorrect side
What does "get out of the wrong side of bed" mean?
- To start the day in a bad mood
- To be grumpy or irritable from the moment of waking
Examples
- You seem grumpy today—did you get out of the wrong side of bed?
- Sorry for snapping at you. I got out of the wrong side of bed this morning.
- He clearly got out on the wrong side of bed; he's been complaining all day.
Origin
Ancient superstition held that the left side was unlucky. Getting out of bed on the left (wrong) side was thought to bring bad luck for the day.
How to use it
Humorous way to explain someone's bad mood, especially in the morning. Often phrased as a question.
Similar expressions
woke up on the wrong side
in a bad mood
grumpy
Opposites
woke up happy
in good spirits
Related idioms
- hang in there
To persevere during difficult times
- lose your temper
To become suddenly angry
- get cold feet
To become nervous or afraid before doing something important
- on top of the world
Feeling extremely happy and successful
- rain on someone's parade
To spoil someone's plans or enthusiasm
- blow off steam
To release pent-up energy or emotion through activity
Use it in a practice answer
Try "get out of the wrong side of bed" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.