Stir crazy (condition)

Stir crazy (condition)

:"This articles describes the psychological condition. For other meanings see Stir crazy (disambiguation)."

Stir crazy is a phrase that dates to 1908 according to the Oxford English Dictionary ["Stir, "n".3" Oxford English Dictionary online, accessed June 30, 2007.] and the online Etymology Dictionary. Used among inmates in prison, it referred to a prisoner who became mentally unbalanced because of prolonged incarceration. It is based upon the slang "stir" (1851) to mean prison.

It is now used to refer to anyone that becomes restless from being stuck in one place too long, with a similar meaning to cabin fever.

References

* "Dictionary of American Underworld Lingo" (Twayne Publishers, 1950)

External links

* [http://www.word-detective.com/back-k.html Word Detective]
* [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=stir-crazy Etymonline.com]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Stir crazy — may refer to:*Stir crazy (condition), a mental condition experienced by prisoners * Stir Crazy (film), a 1980 comedy film *Stir Crazy (restaurant), a US restaurant chain *Stir Crazy (TV series), a short lived 1985 CBS sitcom *Stir Crazy (song), a …   Wikipedia

  • Richard Pryor — Infobox Comedian name = Richard Pryor imagesize = 220px caption = Richard Pryor in 1986 birth date = birth date|1940|12|1 birth place = Peoria, Illinois, U.S. death date = death date and age|2005|12|10|1940|12|1 death place = Encino, California,… …   Wikipedia

  • Gene Wilder — Infobox actor name = Gene Wilder imagesize = caption = Wilder at a book signing, May 2007 birthname = Jerome Silberman birthdate = birth date and age|mf=yes|1933|6|11 deathdate = birthplace = Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA occupation = Comedic actor… …   Wikipedia

  • List of psychology topics — This page aims to list all topics related to psychology. This is so that those interested in the subject can monitor changes to the pages by clicking on Related changes in the sidebar. It is also to see the gaps in Wikipedia s coverage of the… …   Wikipedia

  • Richard Pryor — 1986 Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III, genannt Ritchie, (* 1. Dezember 1940 in Peoria im US Bundesstaat Illinois; † 10. Dezember 2005 in Encino (Los Angeles), Kalifornien) war ein …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Richard Pryor — Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III, né le 1er décembre 1940 à Peoria, Illinois, et mort dans la nuit du 9 au 10 décembre 2005 en Californie, est un acteur et humoriste américain. Sommaire 1 Biographie 1.1 Mort …   Wikipédia en Français

  • literature — /lit euhr euh cheuhr, choor , li treuh /, n. 1. writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays. 2.… …   Universalium

  • performing arts — arts or skills that require public performance, as acting, singing, or dancing. [1945 50] * * * ▪ 2009 Introduction Music Classical.       The last vestiges of the Cold War seemed to thaw for a moment on Feb. 26, 2008, when the unfamiliar strains …   Universalium

  • List of Deadwood characters — This article contains fictional character biographies from the HBO original TV series Deadwood. Contents 1 Main characters 1.1 Seth Bullock 1.2 Al Swearengen 1.3 Alma Garret …   Wikipedia

  • List of characters in the Friday the 13th series — Friday the 13th is an American horror franchise that consists of eleven slasher films, a television show, novels, and comic books. The main character in the series is Jason Voorhees, who drowned at Camp Crystal Lake as a boy due to the negligence …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”