Green’s Dictionary of Slang

shpilkes n.

also shpulkis
[Yid.]

(US) anxiety, nervousness.

[US]M. Ribowsky Don’t Look Back 160: Abe himself was having shpulkis about Paige.
[US]M. Ingall ‘Back-to-School Shpilkes’ The East Village Mamele 10 Oct. at Forward.com 🌐.