Definition:
“To wake up on the wrong side of the bed” means to be in a bad mood or grumpy for no apparent reason. It hearkens back to ancient superstitions that it was unlucky or a bad omen to set the left foot on the floor first when getting out of bed.
Synonyms & Similar Terms:
- Grumpy as a bear 🐻
- In a foul mood
- Out of sorts
- Cranky
- Peevish
Related Expressions:
- Got up on the wrong foot
- Blue Monday
- Day of ill fortune
Antonyms:
- Woke up on the right side of the bed
- Full of beans
- Happy as a clam
- Merry and bright
Witty Quote:
“If putting your left foot down first ruins your day, imagine how elephants with four left feet must feel every morning!” —Anonymous
Proverb:
“Start out on the right foot, end on the right note.”
Literature & References:
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William Congreve, Love for Love Explore how Elizabethan and Restoration playwrights integrated worries about left-foot-first into character grumpiness.
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Ben Jonson, Tale of a Tub A dive into seventeenth-century superstitions and their poetic applications.
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Aphra Behn, The Town-Fop Witness how bad omens and ill luck shape narratives and character fates.
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Sir Walter Scott, Redgauntlet (1824) The role of rising from the “wrong side” in the stories of early 19th-century high adventure and confounding misfortunates.
Suggested Media:
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Unlucky (TV Series) Explore modern curses, superstitions, and belief structures through humor and parody.
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Movie: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) A cinematically poetic clash of moods, where bad starts come with fashionable recoveries.
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*Song: The Lazy Song by Bruno Mars Because sometimes waking up wrong can turn out alright after all.
Inspirational Farewell:
May you always rise from the right side, tread lucky lands, and find bright days in the grumpiest of moments. Handle each step with belief and the world will align.
