Nutcases

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who exhibit eccentric or irrational behaviors, often perceived as crazy or unstable
2. People characterized by extreme or erratic thinking and actions that diverge from societal norms
3. Those regarded as mentally unstable or bizarre due to unconventional or nonsensical behavior

Etymology: "Nutcases" is the plural of "nutcase," and the form is a clear case of plain compounding. "Nut" here is the slang sense meaning a crazy or eccentric person, a usage that grew from the older idea of the head as a nut-shaped container for the brain. "Case" is used in the sense of a person who is a particular kind of problem, as in "basket case" or "headcase." Put together, the two words describe someone whose mind is considered to be cracked or loose. The plural simply adds "-s" to the end of the noun, so "nutcases" refers to several such people at once. The compound follows the pattern of "headcase" and "mental case," which use the same "case" element to label people by a psychological condition.

Synonyms: crazies, lunatics, madmen

Antonyms: sane, rational