Haywire

Part of speech: adjective, adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈheɪ.waɪ.ə(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. Out of control or malfunctioning in a chaotic and unpredictable manner
2. A situation can be described as disorganized and erratic when things cease to function properly, leading to confusion and chaos in operations
3. Operating erratically or breaking down in a way that causes loss of normal function ; a condition marked by confusion and lack of order in an event or system

Etymology: Haywire began as a piece of practical slang in New England lumber camps around 1905. Loggers called a makeshift collection of tools a "haywire outfit," a slapdash kit held together with whatever was to hand. The "hay" refers to the soft, springy wire once used to bind hay bales, which was flimsy and easily tangled. The sense of falling apart came from the behaviour of that wire itself. Once a length was pulled off a spool kept under tension, it would spring loose into an unmanageable knot. From this image, "to go haywire" came to mean becoming tangled, unpredictable, or uncontrollable, as in a mechanism that suddenly stops working properly once one small part is removed.

Synonyms: out of control, disorganized, chaotic, erratic, unruly

Antonyms: orderly, organized, controlled, calm, stable