mike fright

noun

, Informal.

1. extreme nervousness experienced on speaking into a microphone, as on radio or television.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mike fright¹

First recorded in 1935–40; on the model of stage fright

Example Sentences

Stiffened with mike fright fortnight ago, it wouldn't.

From Time Magazine Archive

The girls were simply stricken with that brain-befuddling, tongue-tangling something called "mike fright."

From Time Magazine Archive