lunatic

lunatic
   An equivalent of ‘you idiot’, used to a person who is acting foolishly. The word derives from Latin luna, ‘moon’ and reflects the ancient belief that insane behaviour was dependent on changes in the moon. It is a word used by laymen, but strenuously avoided by anyone professionally connected with the mentally ill. ‘You bloody lunatic’ is used insultingly in The Limits of Love, by Frederic Raphael. Such an expression also occurs on public highways, as motorists express their opinion of other people’s driving. ‘Depraved lunatic’, used by a schoolmaster, occurs in Dandelion Days, by Henry Williamson. ‘You lunatic’, spoken in the right tone of voice, can easily become a covert endearment, tacitly expressing approval of someone’s foolish behaviour. In Girls in their Married Bliss, by Edna O’Brien, where one woman says to another who is on her knees, praying: ‘Get up, you lunatic,’ it is a term of friendly exasperation.

A dictionary of epithets and terms of address . . 2015.

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  • lunatic — LUNÁTIC, Ă, lunatici, ce, adj. 1. (Despre oameni, adesea substantivat) Somnambul. ♦ (Despre somn, privire, mers etc.) De somnambul. ♦ (Rar) Care are vedenii; sperios, fricos. 2. (Rar) Fantastic, halucinant, ireal. ♦ Cu idei ciudate; cu… …   Dicționar Român

  • Lunatic — Lu na*tic, a. [F. lunatique, L. lunaticus, fr. luna the moon. See {Lunar}.] 1. Affected by lunacy; insane; mad; crazy; demented. [1913 Webster] Lord, have mercy on my son; for he is lunatic. Wyclif (Matt. xvii. 15). [1913 Webster] 2. Of or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • lunatic — lu·na·tic / lü nə tik/ n: an insane person used esp. formerly lunatic adj Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. lunatic …   Law dictionary

  • Lunatic — Lu na*tic, n. A person affected by lunacy; an insane person, esp. one who has lucid intervals; a madman; a person of unsound mind. [1913 Webster] The lunatic, the lover, and the poet, Are of imagination all compact. Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lunatic — ist eine französische Hip Hop Gruppe aus Hauts de Seine (92). Ihre Mitglieder, Booba (Boulogne Billancourt) und Ali (Issy les Moulineaux) hatten ihr Debüt mit der Single Le crime paie aus dem Sampler Hostile hip hop. Die beiden Rapper beschreiben …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • lunatic — [adj] crazy, mad absurd, baked*, balmy*, bananas*, bonkers*, cracked, crazed, daft, demented, deranged, dippy*, flaky*, flipped out*, foolish, freaked out*, fried*, idiotic, insane, irrational, kooky*, loco, maniac, maniacal, nonsensical, nutty* …   New thesaurus

  • lunatic — adj insane, mad, crazy, crazed, demented, deranged, maniac, non compos mentis …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • lunatic — ► NOUN 1) a person who is mentally ill (not in technical use). 2) an extremely foolish person. ORIGIN Latin lunaticus, from luna moon (from the belief that changes of the moon caused intermittent insanity) …   English terms dictionary

  • lunatic — [lo͞o′nə tik] adj. [ME lunatik < OFr lunatique < LL lunaticus, moon struck, crazy < L luna, the moon: see LIGHT1] 1. suffering from lunacy; insane 2. of or characterized by lunacy 3. of or for insane persons 4. utterly foolish n …   English World dictionary

  • Lunatic —  Pour l’article homonyme, voir Lunatic (album).  Lunatic Pays d’origine  France …   Wikipédia en Français

  • lunatic — {{11}}lunatic (adj.) late 13c., affected with periodic insanity, dependent on the changes of the moon, from O.Fr. lunatique, lunage insane, or directly from L.L. lunaticus moon struck, from L. luna moon (see LUNA (Cf. Luna)). Cf. O.E. monseoc… …   Etymology dictionary

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