Batshit Crazy
/ˈbæt.ʃɪt ˈkreɪ.zi/noun
An informal expression meaning extremely irrational, chaotic, or mentally unbalanced.
Did you know?“Batshit” became an intensifying slang term in American English before “batshit crazy” emerged as a fixed expression, likely drawing power from the bizarre, filthy image of bat guano.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sker-
“To cut or break; a proposed ancient root connected with later words for cracking or shattering.”
Old English
Old English
cracian
“To make a sharp sound or crack.”
Middle English
Middle English
craze
“To crack, break, or become damaged; later, to impair the mind.”
16th–17th Century
English
crazy
“Cracked, damaged, or mentally unsound.”
20th Century
American English
batshit
“Vulgar slang based on bat feces, used as an intensifier for extreme behavior or conditions.”
Late 20th Century
American English
batshit crazy
“Extremely irrational, chaotic, or insane; an emphatic informal expression.”