What is the meaning of the expression "I am scared shitless"?

[SiCantikManis]

Hi,

Does the expression above equivalent to "I am not scared at all". I can't tell.

Thanks,
Cantik
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Thou shalt not use yours to make the whole world jealous.

[Yankee]

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No, Cantik, that expression means (in more polite terms):
"I'm extremely scared" / "I'm scared to death".
http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/be+scared+shitless
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Amy
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ESL teacher, and native speaker of American English

[Molly]

It means "I'm very afraid".

[SiCantikManis]

Oh thanks, I didn't check it up because I assumed it was coined and was not an idiom.

Oh by the way, I think my question should read "Is the expression above equivalent to ...". Funny, when I wrote it, it sounded natural.

Thanks again!
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Thou shalt not use yours to make the whole world jealous.

[Skrej]

The idea behind the expression, is that sometimes when people get very frightened, they may lose control of their bowels. Thus, they don't have any 'sh*t' in them anymore, and are therefore 'sh*tless'.

So, to be scared sh*tless, is as others have explained, to be very afraid or extremely scared. You're saying you are so frightened that you, too, have had an 'accident' as my mother used to call them...
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Native speaker but not a perfect speaker.
But completely fluent in over six million forms of Teflese.

[Alan]

Hi,

Going to seize the opportunity to point out it should be 'lose control' and refer to

http://www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic28245.html

Thanks for the graphic but subtle description!

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Future