What does “out of nerves” mean in this context?












4
















... Hermione had been right; Professor Flitwick did indeed test them on Cheering Charms. Harry slightly overdid his out of nerves and Ron, who was partnering him, ended up in fits of hysterical laughter and had to be led away to a quiet room for an hour before he was ready to perform the charm himself. ...




I don't quite get what "out of nerves" means in this context. I've looked it up and it doesn't seem to be a set phrase. I guess it could mean "Harry is nervous, so he slightly overdid his Cheering Charms...". But I don't know if my understanding is correct. How should we understand it here?










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    4
















    ... Hermione had been right; Professor Flitwick did indeed test them on Cheering Charms. Harry slightly overdid his out of nerves and Ron, who was partnering him, ended up in fits of hysterical laughter and had to be led away to a quiet room for an hour before he was ready to perform the charm himself. ...




    I don't quite get what "out of nerves" means in this context. I've looked it up and it doesn't seem to be a set phrase. I guess it could mean "Harry is nervous, so he slightly overdid his Cheering Charms...". But I don't know if my understanding is correct. How should we understand it here?










    share|improve this question

























      4












      4








      4


      1







      ... Hermione had been right; Professor Flitwick did indeed test them on Cheering Charms. Harry slightly overdid his out of nerves and Ron, who was partnering him, ended up in fits of hysterical laughter and had to be led away to a quiet room for an hour before he was ready to perform the charm himself. ...




      I don't quite get what "out of nerves" means in this context. I've looked it up and it doesn't seem to be a set phrase. I guess it could mean "Harry is nervous, so he slightly overdid his Cheering Charms...". But I don't know if my understanding is correct. How should we understand it here?










      share|improve this question















      ... Hermione had been right; Professor Flitwick did indeed test them on Cheering Charms. Harry slightly overdid his out of nerves and Ron, who was partnering him, ended up in fits of hysterical laughter and had to be led away to a quiet room for an hour before he was ready to perform the charm himself. ...




      I don't quite get what "out of nerves" means in this context. I've looked it up and it doesn't seem to be a set phrase. I guess it could mean "Harry is nervous, so he slightly overdid his Cheering Charms...". But I don't know if my understanding is correct. How should we understand it here?







      meaning-in-context phrase-meaning






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      asked Nov 26 '18 at 11:53









      dandan

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          7














          The phrase out of means "because of" or "motivated by".




          She said that out of jealousy.




          Because he was nervous.



          P.S. But I should add that it sounds strange to my ear when used of something that is not truly a motive (fear, envy, jealousy, love, respect, anger, concern, etc).






          share|improve this answer


























          • I understand why @dan is confused, because I am too. Shouldn't it be "out of nerve", being nerve uncountable, to mean that Harry was nervous? Could it mean also that a sort of "no worries" spell, being "out of nerves" a kind of charm, was casted on Ron and it went wrong?

            – RubioRic
            Nov 26 '18 at 12:46






          • 6





            @RubioRic: nerve in the singular means audacity whereas nerves in the plural refers to "the jitters", the shaky and insecure feeling of nervousness.

            – Tᴚoɯɐuo
            Nov 26 '18 at 12:50








          • 2





            @RubioRic The expression is you're getting on my nerves. (Although some people turn it into a joke and say you're getting on my last nerve.) Also, we refer to people as having a case of the nerves (not a case of the nerve). In general, expressions involving the word use it in a plural form. The one exception I can think of is when somebody says they are getting up their nerve to do something. But nerve is being used in a different sense in that expression.

            – Jason Bassford
            Nov 26 '18 at 13:30











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          1 Answer
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          1 Answer
          1






          active

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          active

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          active

          oldest

          votes









          7














          The phrase out of means "because of" or "motivated by".




          She said that out of jealousy.




          Because he was nervous.



          P.S. But I should add that it sounds strange to my ear when used of something that is not truly a motive (fear, envy, jealousy, love, respect, anger, concern, etc).






          share|improve this answer


























          • I understand why @dan is confused, because I am too. Shouldn't it be "out of nerve", being nerve uncountable, to mean that Harry was nervous? Could it mean also that a sort of "no worries" spell, being "out of nerves" a kind of charm, was casted on Ron and it went wrong?

            – RubioRic
            Nov 26 '18 at 12:46






          • 6





            @RubioRic: nerve in the singular means audacity whereas nerves in the plural refers to "the jitters", the shaky and insecure feeling of nervousness.

            – Tᴚoɯɐuo
            Nov 26 '18 at 12:50








          • 2





            @RubioRic The expression is you're getting on my nerves. (Although some people turn it into a joke and say you're getting on my last nerve.) Also, we refer to people as having a case of the nerves (not a case of the nerve). In general, expressions involving the word use it in a plural form. The one exception I can think of is when somebody says they are getting up their nerve to do something. But nerve is being used in a different sense in that expression.

            – Jason Bassford
            Nov 26 '18 at 13:30
















          7














          The phrase out of means "because of" or "motivated by".




          She said that out of jealousy.




          Because he was nervous.



          P.S. But I should add that it sounds strange to my ear when used of something that is not truly a motive (fear, envy, jealousy, love, respect, anger, concern, etc).






          share|improve this answer


























          • I understand why @dan is confused, because I am too. Shouldn't it be "out of nerve", being nerve uncountable, to mean that Harry was nervous? Could it mean also that a sort of "no worries" spell, being "out of nerves" a kind of charm, was casted on Ron and it went wrong?

            – RubioRic
            Nov 26 '18 at 12:46






          • 6





            @RubioRic: nerve in the singular means audacity whereas nerves in the plural refers to "the jitters", the shaky and insecure feeling of nervousness.

            – Tᴚoɯɐuo
            Nov 26 '18 at 12:50








          • 2





            @RubioRic The expression is you're getting on my nerves. (Although some people turn it into a joke and say you're getting on my last nerve.) Also, we refer to people as having a case of the nerves (not a case of the nerve). In general, expressions involving the word use it in a plural form. The one exception I can think of is when somebody says they are getting up their nerve to do something. But nerve is being used in a different sense in that expression.

            – Jason Bassford
            Nov 26 '18 at 13:30














          7












          7








          7







          The phrase out of means "because of" or "motivated by".




          She said that out of jealousy.




          Because he was nervous.



          P.S. But I should add that it sounds strange to my ear when used of something that is not truly a motive (fear, envy, jealousy, love, respect, anger, concern, etc).






          share|improve this answer















          The phrase out of means "because of" or "motivated by".




          She said that out of jealousy.




          Because he was nervous.



          P.S. But I should add that it sounds strange to my ear when used of something that is not truly a motive (fear, envy, jealousy, love, respect, anger, concern, etc).







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited Nov 26 '18 at 12:22

























          answered Nov 26 '18 at 12:14









          TᴚoɯɐuoTᴚoɯɐuo

          111k684179




          111k684179













          • I understand why @dan is confused, because I am too. Shouldn't it be "out of nerve", being nerve uncountable, to mean that Harry was nervous? Could it mean also that a sort of "no worries" spell, being "out of nerves" a kind of charm, was casted on Ron and it went wrong?

            – RubioRic
            Nov 26 '18 at 12:46






          • 6





            @RubioRic: nerve in the singular means audacity whereas nerves in the plural refers to "the jitters", the shaky and insecure feeling of nervousness.

            – Tᴚoɯɐuo
            Nov 26 '18 at 12:50








          • 2





            @RubioRic The expression is you're getting on my nerves. (Although some people turn it into a joke and say you're getting on my last nerve.) Also, we refer to people as having a case of the nerves (not a case of the nerve). In general, expressions involving the word use it in a plural form. The one exception I can think of is when somebody says they are getting up their nerve to do something. But nerve is being used in a different sense in that expression.

            – Jason Bassford
            Nov 26 '18 at 13:30



















          • I understand why @dan is confused, because I am too. Shouldn't it be "out of nerve", being nerve uncountable, to mean that Harry was nervous? Could it mean also that a sort of "no worries" spell, being "out of nerves" a kind of charm, was casted on Ron and it went wrong?

            – RubioRic
            Nov 26 '18 at 12:46






          • 6





            @RubioRic: nerve in the singular means audacity whereas nerves in the plural refers to "the jitters", the shaky and insecure feeling of nervousness.

            – Tᴚoɯɐuo
            Nov 26 '18 at 12:50








          • 2





            @RubioRic The expression is you're getting on my nerves. (Although some people turn it into a joke and say you're getting on my last nerve.) Also, we refer to people as having a case of the nerves (not a case of the nerve). In general, expressions involving the word use it in a plural form. The one exception I can think of is when somebody says they are getting up their nerve to do something. But nerve is being used in a different sense in that expression.

            – Jason Bassford
            Nov 26 '18 at 13:30

















          I understand why @dan is confused, because I am too. Shouldn't it be "out of nerve", being nerve uncountable, to mean that Harry was nervous? Could it mean also that a sort of "no worries" spell, being "out of nerves" a kind of charm, was casted on Ron and it went wrong?

          – RubioRic
          Nov 26 '18 at 12:46





          I understand why @dan is confused, because I am too. Shouldn't it be "out of nerve", being nerve uncountable, to mean that Harry was nervous? Could it mean also that a sort of "no worries" spell, being "out of nerves" a kind of charm, was casted on Ron and it went wrong?

          – RubioRic
          Nov 26 '18 at 12:46




          6




          6





          @RubioRic: nerve in the singular means audacity whereas nerves in the plural refers to "the jitters", the shaky and insecure feeling of nervousness.

          – Tᴚoɯɐuo
          Nov 26 '18 at 12:50







          @RubioRic: nerve in the singular means audacity whereas nerves in the plural refers to "the jitters", the shaky and insecure feeling of nervousness.

          – Tᴚoɯɐuo
          Nov 26 '18 at 12:50






          2




          2





          @RubioRic The expression is you're getting on my nerves. (Although some people turn it into a joke and say you're getting on my last nerve.) Also, we refer to people as having a case of the nerves (not a case of the nerve). In general, expressions involving the word use it in a plural form. The one exception I can think of is when somebody says they are getting up their nerve to do something. But nerve is being used in a different sense in that expression.

          – Jason Bassford
          Nov 26 '18 at 13:30





          @RubioRic The expression is you're getting on my nerves. (Although some people turn it into a joke and say you're getting on my last nerve.) Also, we refer to people as having a case of the nerves (not a case of the nerve). In general, expressions involving the word use it in a plural form. The one exception I can think of is when somebody says they are getting up their nerve to do something. But nerve is being used in a different sense in that expression.

          – Jason Bassford
          Nov 26 '18 at 13:30


















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