English Reference
Idiom idiom

shiver me timbers


A sarcastic remark indicating that the speaker is not scared.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

He threatened to fire me, but shiver me timbers, I am not afraid.

CONTEXTUAL

When the boss warned us about the new strict rules, my coworker whispered, shiver me timbers, as if we were actually worried.

COMPLEX

The villain boasted of his fearsome reputation, yet the hero merely replied with a mocking shiver me timbers, unimpressed by the empty display of power.


Related idioms2entries
  1. 01

    put some timber on

    To put on weight; to become more heavy or obese.

  2. 02

    send shivers down someone's spine

    To terrify; to make someone feel extremely nervous.

Last updated August 10, 2026