APAD: To jump out of one's skin

"To jump out of one's skin" means to be extremely startled, frightened, or surprised by something so extreme that it feels as if one’s body is leaping out of its skin. It describes an intense physical reaction to shock, often used with "nearly" or "almost".

It conveys a visceral, almost physical response to an unexpected event, used in emotional, thrilling, or startling contexts to highlight heightened arousal or adrenaline.

An early use appears in Samuel Richardson’s 1748 novel "Clarissa". It gained traction in the 19th century, as seen in Charles Dickens’ "A Tale of Two Cities" in 1859.

- From online with editing
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I bet all have had "jumped out of skin" moments. But someone like me may have a bit more than some others.  Mom told me when I was little, I would jump and cry whenever hearing others talking in a loud voice.  

Many years have passed, but I still have the feeling of “ jumped out of skin” time by time when watching movies and TV shows.  Actually, I felt truly jumping out of my skin during swimming last week, when at the deep end, a man suddenly stuck his head out of the water, just a foot in front of me in my lane!  Oh Boy!!! 

Wish you all a peaceful Monday, without any "jumped out of skin" surprises. 

Cheers!

pic: local city swimming pool we go to (from city website)