You Give Me the Creeps!

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QUESTION:
Benjamin in Thailand wants to know what this sentence means: “You give me the creeps!”

ANSWER:
To give (someone) the creeps means to make someone feel frightened or uncomfortable. For example, if you ride the subway every morning and the same woman sits across from you and stares at you with the same strange look on her face, she may give you the creeps. Walking by a dark empty house at night might also give you the creeps.

Interestingly, if we use “creep” as a noun by itself, it has a slightly different meaning. A creep is a person who behaves in a way that other people don’t like or who bothers other people. We often use it to describe someone who does things that we find distasteful or dishonest. For instance, someone who often tells you things you want to hear so that he can get something he wants from you, can be called a creep. We usually associate (relate) a creep with someone who is disagreeable (easy to dislike; nasty), obnoxious (does things to annoy other people), or offensive (does things to hurt or upset other people).

I’ve only heard men described as creeps, not women. Perhaps it’s because we may also use “creep” to describe someone who makes unwanted sexual advances or who treats women disrespectfully. A woman walking down the street who encounters a group of men shouting comments about her appearance or making sexually suggestive comments might yell back at them, “You creep!”

“Creep” can also be used as a verb to mean to move slowly and carefully so other people will not see or hear you. If I wanted to steal Jeff’s candy bar off his desk, I would creep into his office while he isn’t looking and take it.  Similarly, if teenage children come home past their curfew (the time that parents say their children must be home by), they may creep up the stairs hoping their parents won’t hear them.

Thanks for the question, Benjamin, and I hope this was helpful.

~ Lucy

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11 Responses to You Give Me the Creeps!

  1. emiliano says:

    Yes, thank you Lucy, it has been very useful as ever.
    Some years ago there was a comic it´s name was “Creepy” and I made all the collection that afterward was for my older daughter Eva, as she likes it very much.
    The others like it too, and sometimes Fatima and Laura told me “The Creepy” magazine comics were all to Eva, she had a little hard face……, and so on.

    There were also two movies with those names “Creepy I” and “Creepy II”……and afterward the III IV…….
    The first movies were nice to see, some of them with Stephen King´s stories, with a bit of good humor, but very creepy for that time.
    Yes, they were based on the Creepy comics and there was a person´s skeleton who presented the movies, so nice to see.

    Another nice comic magazines of that time were “1984” that they were based on the Orwell´s novel by the same title.
    All the collection was for my same daughter Eva, who likes it even more…….and the same coments of my younger
    Fátima and Laura, afterward.
    With reason, I think now.
    The advantage of being the older brother, I´m sorry for you Jeff that sure you had the rest always, like me as I was the younger too.

    Again, thank you Lucy and thank you Benjamin, this word has been a little enigma to me always, now is very clear with your good explanation.
    A good year to all, emiliano

  2. Peter says:

    Lucy, IF I were you I would nible at the candy bar ,So Jeff woulldn’t realize it. Don’t take the whole thing.It is so obvious!

  3. Peter says:

    Hi my siver-tongued prof,

    The smell episod ,amazing!

    I totally love it!

    One of my favourit episod

    I just listen to it
    I never knew the difference .Now , I know.You guys are amazing .you keep blowing my mind.the materials you come up with.what would I do without you
    you gave me the power to have my way with English language.for that,I owe you a great deal!
    Thanks Lucy! For putting it together,and Also,thanks for the explanation above.

    Huge fan of yours ,And your canon

    Peter

  4. Peter says:

    Dear Jeff,

    I wanna give shot to the 6 numbers you said for a lottary ticket.

    I am gonna play them on the next draw this coming Saturday!

    I am serious, no joking

    If I win the top prize I will give you a cut.

    I am dead serious man!
    You have my word on it.

  5. Bakhtiar says:

    Good job Lucy , really interesting , amazing explaination with powerful vocabulary, i am regular writer in our blog, and a best thing when i read your comment to question is the word carfew, to put codes and rules to both of my kinds when they grow up and bcome adults especially, i will be aware of cripping others and not offense anyone , due to it has disasterful consquences.

  6. dongsung says:

    why don’t you try below one
    18 25 09 15 36 39
    I never have good luck for any lottery ticket, but who know?

  7. Peter says:

    I have gained 20 pounds during the holiday season. I had a sinking feeling that I just gain 5 pound holiday weight ,but,to my surprise my scale with no mercy ruined the day for me.

    I wish I could walk it off!

    Howaboit you guys ?how many pounds holiday weight are you carrying around?

  8. Tania says:

    Hi ! This horror movie gives me the creeps . The same the holiday weight .

    Tania

  9. Tania says:

    Hi ! We have a free school lunch program , too . “Milk and roll ” , as we call it , is for all our little pupils .
    It consists in milk / yoghourt or honey and a roll . It is not a hot lunch , but a healthy meal instead of a chemical one prefered by children .

    Be careful what we eat !

    Tania

  10. dini says:

    peter,
    when you talk about holiday weight you mean the amount of weight wich you gain during the holiday days ?

    dini

  11. Eryck says:

    Hi! Im Eryck. And I love this blog. I alwayas see the word “creep” in movies. Now, I really understand what “creep” means. Im from Brazil. And in my language the word “creep” have several meanings. Thank you.

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