Alt: Got up on the wrong side of the
bed. (Past Tense)
An expression that is typically used to describe a grumpy or irritable person, especially when the reason for their unhappiness is unknown.
It can also be used to describe when somebody wakes up in a bad
mood which then lasts all
day, possibly because they didn'
t get enough sleep or had an unpleasant
dream the night before.
The phrase dates back to Ancient Rome, where it was considered bad luck to get out of
bed from the left side, which itself originated in a very
old superstition saying that everything related to the left-hand side was inherently unlucky. The modern English expression reflects that myth with a tongue-in-cheek play on words, suggesting that a grouchy person must have gotten out of
bed on the "wrong" side, as opposed to the "right" side.
"What's with Wendy? She seems annoyed about something."
"I don't know,
maybe she got up on the wrong side of the
bed today."
- - - - -
"You're acting like
real jerk!"
"Sorry, I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I'm in a bad mood, but it's not your fault."