Where "Toey" Comes From
Green's Dictionary of Slang records Australian and New Zealand "toey" (nervous, touchy or keen to start) from 1930, with the earliest quotation about a horse restless before a race. The popular explanation that it comes from a horse "dancing on its toes" is widely repeated but not firmly confirmed.
“The whole team was toey in the change rooms before the grand final.”
“I get a bit toey when I'm waiting on a flight.”
"He's been toey all morning waiting on that phone call."
How Aussies Actually Use It
Can describe nervous anticipation or, in older/cruder usage, sexual eagerness — modern everyday use leans toward the former (anxious/keyed-up).
Toey describes that jumpy, keyed-up feeling before something happens: waiting for exam results, sitting on the start line, or standing outside a job interview. Someone who is toey can't settle. They pace, check the time and can't sit still, but it's excitement and nerves mixed together rather than fear or anger.
It's an older-sounding word now, and you're more likely to hear it from older speakers than teenagers. It also has a cruder sense (mentioned above), so depending on tone and context it can be taken as a bit cheeky. In everyday use, though, 'toey' about a footballer before the first whistle or a kid before a birthday is innocent. Learner tip: if you want the safe meaning, add the situation ('toey about the results'), which makes clear you mean nervous or restless.
See also: Cranky (another mood word, but for irritation), Dinkum (another classic Aussie adjective), Stoked (very excited, positive feeling).
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