total nutcase
1
8.8
- noun
- /ˈtoʊtəl ˈnʌtkeɪs/
- Offensive
:
loco de atar
- My friend is a total nutcase; she always comes up with the most eccentric plans.
Examples
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Everyone in my family, like, turns into a total nutcase this time of year.
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Aziz: Seems pretty clear this guy is a total nutcase.
Blog text (17) -
- You are a total nutcase!
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I am so glad you are such a total nutcase and that you let us have a view into your mind.
Blog text (10) -
I must have looked like a total nutcase!
Blog text (30) -
He could be a total nutcase.
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and not the far, far-right tea partier and total nutcase that he has had to become to get the Republican nomination.
Blog text (10) -
Or you may be sitting there (once again) thinking I'm a total nutcase and unrealistic and you could never get rid of your super-double-upholstered Italian sofa that just ties the room together, but sell it anyway.
Blog text (3) -
Everyone who meets him thinks he is a total nutcase because of his wild ideas.
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They called her a total nutcase for wearing a costume to the grocery store.
Synonyms
309
7.5
A person who behaves in a silly or strange way
149
8.1
A person who behaves wildly and dangerously and may hurt others
119
7.0
A person who acts in a strange or unusual way
95
6.4
A man who acts very strangely or dangerously and may be mentally ill
52
8.6
A person who behaves very strangely and may be dangerous
51
6.2
A person who acts in a wild or reckless way
49
9.8
A person who behaves in a strange or wild way
40
8.2
A person who has strange or unrealistic ideas
35
8.8
A person who behaves in a very strange or wild way
29
7.7
A person who is often angry and has strange ideas
21
7.2
A person who acts in a strange way
14
9.7
A person who behaves in strange or silly ways
5
8.5
A person who acts silly or strange to make others laugh
5
8.3
A person who behaves in a strange, silly way
4
8.6
A person who acts in a silly or strange way
4
9.9
A person who behaves very strangely
4
9.9
A person who behaves in a very strange or wild way
2
9.1
A person who acts in a very angry, dangerous, or unpredictable way
1
7.0
A person who behaves in an unusual way that others find odd
1
6.0
A person with unusual habits or behavior
1
9.1
An insulting word for a person who acts very silly or strange
A person who behaves in a very strange and unreasonable way that worries others
A person who behaves in a wild or strange way
A person with very foolish or wild ideas
How Crazy
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward composition of an intensifier 'total' (complete/utter) with 'nutcase' (a crazy or eccentric person), so a learner who knows both words will readily infer it means a completely crazy person. This adjective+noun intensification pattern is compositional and cross-linguistically common, making the expression transparent to B1 learners familiar with the constituents.
Etymology
Total nutcase comes from the image of a nut, a slang word for a person who acts crazy, put in a case, like a small box or a label, which gives a strong picture of someone strange. The word total makes it stronger, so the phrase means a person who is very strange or 'crazy'.