This program explores the history and usage of common expressions in American English . Today , we talk about a time when half the world is waking from the dark , cold winter months . We often describe spring as a time of rebirth , renewal and awakening . Many trees are blossoming and early flowers are pushing through the earth . Things are coming to life ! When the weather turns warm , many people suffer from spring fever . Common “symptoms ” of spring fever include not being able to focus on school or work , taking long walks , or falling in love . So , are you actually sick when you have spring fever ? Spring fever used to refer to an actual illness . When the weather turned warm , some people developed sore throats , headaches , or stuffy noses . The definition of “spring fever ” slowly changed in the early 1800s . People came to use the term to mean a sudden increase of romantic feelings . Elvis Presley describes this feeling in his song “Spring Fever .” These days , we use “spring fever ” to describe a restless feeling after the long , cold days of winter . But the word “spring ” is not just a season . It is also a verb that means something happened or appeared quickly . When you put “spring ” and “life ” together , you get spring to life . This expression means something suddenly becomes very active or perhaps seems more alive ! You may spring to life after hearing that a distant friend will be visiting you . Or maybe your favorite soccer team finally sprang to life in the second half , played well and won the match . But this is just the beginning . There are so many more "spring " expressions that mean to happen suddenly . As you can see , American English has so many phrases that use “spring ” to mean "something happens quickly ." The ones we have heard are just the ones that sprang to mind . In other words , they were the first ones I thought of , without spending much time thinking about it . But perhaps those examples are confusing . Maybe I should have prepared you instead of just springing them on you . And , I did it again . If you spring something on other people , you have surprised them , usually not in a good way . Here is a short poem by Oliver Herford titled “I Heard a Bird Sing .” It tells how a simple bird song brings a longing for spring during the month of December . “We are nearer to Spring Than we were in September ,” I heard a bird sing In the dark of December .