Can you imagine someone with a thick New York accent complaining about their agita? It’s not a stereotype; it’s the true origin of the word. “Agita” (“a feeling of nervousness or anxiety”) originated in the 1970s with New York City’s population of Italian immigrants. “Agita” comes from an Americanized pronunciation of an Italian dialect word, “acido,” referring to acid or heartburn. However, the more figurative usage relating to anxiety likely stemmed from the word “agitation.”