To Get Out the Wrong Side of the Bed (Origin)

What Is the Origin of the Saying "To Get Out the Wrong Side of the Bed"?

Meaning to be grumpy throughout the day, to get out the wrong side of the bed derives from an ancient superstition that evil spirits lay on a certain side of the bed. A person who wakes up and gets out the "wrong" side of the bed disturbs the evil spirits and attracts their wrath, putting the person in a foul mood.

Examples of Use:

• He must have got out of bed on the wrong side because he's been in a grumpy mood all day.
• She seemed irritable and easily frustrated, as if she had gotten out of bed on the wrong side.
• His day started off on a sour note, and he felt like he had gotten out of bed on the wrong side.
• When everything seemed to go wrong from the start, it felt as if she had gotten out of bed on the wrong side.
• His colleagues noticed his lack of enthusiasm and guessed that he had gotten out of bed on the wrong side.

If you are following UK writing conventions, use "got" not "gotten."

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Read more about the difference between "got" and "gotten."

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