Bounce off the walls

Once again, in the topic of birthday today of the spoken section of IELTS, I learned a new idiom, to bounce off the walls. The expression is interesting and can barely be imaged by someone who was not born in the English-speaking countries. Therefore I think I’d have to make it more clear.

The expression “bounce off the walls” means that someone is full of nervous or excited energy. Parents sometimes use the saying to indicate an annoyance and frustration with their children’s hyperactivity. “Bounce off the walls” is an idiom that is frequently used in the English language to illustrate a high amount of excitement.

Hyperactivity is often expressed with physical activity, such as talking fast, jumping up and down or running around in circles. To “bounce off the walls” indicates that a person is so ecstatic that his excitement can’t be contained. It usually means that the person needs some sort of outlet to release all of the self-contained excitement and energy.

Someone may be described as about to “bounce off the walls” if he receives good news that causes an ecstatic reaction. Getting a promotion at work, an acceptance letter from a top college or university or winning the lottery might cause someone to “bounce off the walls.” The person may yell, scream or run around in order to express his high amount of joy. Extreme happiness is difficult for most people to contain and expressing it physically is sometimes an automatic reaction.

Children who become hyper due to naturally high energy levels, excitement or the consumption of too much sugar and caffeine may start to drive those around them nuts. Caretakers may say the children are “bouncing off the walls” to indicate they are not pleased with the high amount of excitement. They may wish to make an attempt to calm the children down by taking them out of a constrained environment. For example, some parents take their children on walks or out to play when they feel their excitement levels are too much to stay indoors.

Consuming certain types of foods that are high in caffeine and natural energy boosters may make someone appear as though he is “bouncing off the walls.” Energy drinks are famous for giving someone the feeling that he can run a marathon. The high amounts of caffeine and sugar act as temporary stimulants, which causes a person to have elevated energy levels. It creates a physical high that may be accompanied by an emotional response that appears to be excitement.

When someone is said to be “bouncing off the walls” it usually means he is unable to sit still. The person is usually overtly expressive in some way. This individual may draw attention to himself by his behavior, which may be loud and obnoxious.