nutty as a fruitcake
1
9.0
- idiom
- /ˈnʌti əz ə ˈfruːtkeɪk/
- Informal
:
loco como una cabra
- My uncle is as nutty as a fruitcake when it comes to his collection of unusual hats.
Examples
-
You're nutty as a fruitcake.
-
Well, Wonka might be as nutty as a fruitcake, but he sure knew how to make chocolate.
-
There are times when I think he's nutty as a fruitcake, but he is always very self-possessed and seems to always know exactly what he is doing.
Fiction book (1994) -
Everyone agrees that she's nutty as a fruitcake, especially with her outlandish ideas for parties.
-
After listening to his wild stories, I realized he's truly nutty as a fruitcake.
Synonyms
∞
1.4
Very strange or unusual in a way that surprises people
98
5.9
Odd in a funny or silly way
55
7.2
Being a little crazy in a funny or strange way
26
8.0
Slightly strange in a funny, pleasant way
12
9.0
Behaving in a strange or not sensible way
10
8.6
Used informally to describe someone who behaves in a strange or silly way
6
8.4
Slightly strange in the way a person thinks or behaves
3
9.3
Strange and amusing in how a person or thing looks and acts
1
5.0
Acting in a wild and uncontrolled way
1
8.6
Slightly silly and odd in a playful way
1
7.7
Funny in a strange or silly way
Acting or feeling very strange
Very crazy or doing things that show bad judgment
Very silly and wild in a playful way
Acting in a very strange and not sensible way
Strange and sometimes a little shocking
Acting in a strange, unusual way that others find odd
Someone who acts a little crazy
A little strange and silly
Antonyms
How Crazy
- Informal
1
9.0
- Offensive
- Informal
55
7.2
1
7.0
798
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward simile using the productive pattern 'as ADJ as NOUN' where the meaning follows directly from the constituents: 'nutty' (crazy) compared to 'fruitcake' (an eccentric person). Because both constituents convey eccentricity, the phrase simply intensifies that quality and is therefore immediately derivable by a learner who knows the component words.
Etymology
Nutty as a fruitcake may come from the image of a fruitcake full of nuts and odd bits, which looks a little wild and strange. So calling someone nutty as a fruitcake means they are very 'crazy'.