My understanding of the term “freaked out” is that it originated in the 1960’s, when people tended to take drugs which could cause people to “freak out”, or act very strangely or uncontrollably. The word “freak” by itself can refer to someone who acts strangely, someone who does not fit in with everyone else. So, believe it or not, “freaked out”, “freaking out”, and other variants are quite common expressions in American English today, used by both young and old people.

It does not usually refer to the effects of drug use, or to refer to someone who really is crazy. It is used more as a fun expression, or a way to express a strong reaction to something, for both positive and negative situations. For example, let’s say a student was very surprised to find out that she received the highest grade on a test, even though she did not study. She might say to her friends: “Oh my gosh, when I received that A+ I just freaked out!”. Or, when your boss informs you and your colleagues that everyone will be headed to Las Vegas for a company outing, you could say: “When he told us the news, everyone was just freaking out.” As far as calling someone a “freak”, it can be used lightheartedly amongst friends: if your friend just loves to play video games all the time, you could say to him: “you are such a freak.” Or, it can be used in a more negative way: if the pretty teenage high school girls are discussing the boy who has some bad habits they can say to each other: “he is such a freak.” You can even say something is “freakish,” r even “freakin” (short for “freaking”, “that was freakin’ awesome”). Try to use some of these “freaking” expressions on your American friends. I guarantee they will “freak out.”

Yours,

Oliver

LiveEnglishClass.com Teaching Director

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