"nervous, jittery," by 1970s; earlier (1959, perhaps early 1950s) as "using narcotic drugs, addicted to drugs;" from past participle of wire (v.).
Old English wir "metal drawn out into a thread," from Proto-Germanic *wiraz (cf. Old Norse viravirka "filigree work," Swedish vira "to twist," Old High German wiara "fine gold work"), from PIE *wei- "to turn, twist, plait" (cf. Old Irish fiar, Welsh gwyr "bent, crooked;" Latin viere "to bend, twist," viriæ "bracelets," of Celtic origin). Wiretapping is recorded from 1904, from earlier wiretapper (1893). Wirepuller in the political sense is 1848, American English.
cool as a christian with aces wired, have something cinched
[fr wire as conducting an electrical charge or stimulus, or as used for binding; wired up is recorded as a US term for ''irritated, provoked'' in the late 1800s and may be related to the sense ''anxious, nervous'']
come up to the wire, down to the wire, go to the wire, haywire, hot-wire
thread or slender rod, usually very flexible and circular in cross section, made from various metals and alloys, including iron, steel, brass, bronze, copper, aluminum, zinc, gold, silver, and platinum. The processes used are all fundamentally the same