{"id":10376,"date":"2022-11-16T22:55:36","date_gmt":"2022-11-16T22:55:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=10376"},"modified":"2022-11-16T22:55:36","modified_gmt":"2022-11-16T22:55:36","slug":"mad-as-a-hatter-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/mad-as-a-hatter-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Mad As A Hatter \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you seen the common phrase 'mad as a hatter' <\/strong>somewhere in a text (or on the internet), and want to know more about the saying and its origins? 'Mad as a hatter' <\/strong>is a figurative expression with an interesting origin. This post unpacks the meaning, origin, and correct use of the saying.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

'Mad as a hatter' <\/strong>is a common figurative expression in the English language.<\/u><\/p>\n

When someone is described to be 'mad as a hatter'<\/strong>, the phrase implies that someone is mad, insane, quirky, or irrational.<\/u><\/p>\n

The phrase 'mad as a hatter' <\/strong>is most often used as a subtle or direct insult at someone or their decisionmaking.<\/u><\/p>\n

Sometimes the phrase 'mad as a hatter' <\/strong>can be used as a joking, less insulting reference too.<\/p>\n

The phrase 'mad as a hatter' <\/strong>can also be used as a joking form of self reference when someone is speaking about themselves.<\/u><\/p>\n

'Mad as a hatter'<\/strong> can be said as a response or as a statement, <\/u>and could make sense in context when it is said on its own when observing or discussing an event which is considered insane or crazy by the speakers.<\/p>\n

The phrase 'mad as a hatter' <\/strong>can also be used in the denial form to say that someone is 'not mad as a hatter' <\/strong>or with the implication that they are sane.<\/p>\n

The expression draws a parallel to the character 'the mad hatter' <\/strong>from Alice in Wonderland.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\u201cThe guy just ordered everyone's pizza with pineapple on it. I'm telling you, don't marry this guy, he's definitely mad as a hatter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother was mad as a hatter. That's why she named me Jacob, and I'm a thirty-seven year old woman who has to live with this secret for the rest of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou're mad as a hatter if you think that your bitcoin is ever going to be worth real money someday. Why don't you just invest in our fertilizer company instead?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon't be mad as a hatter! Everyone can't have their remains shot out of a cannon, no matter which movie star is going to pay for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Origin<\/h2>\n

According to popular language resources (including etymonline.com), the expression 'mad as a hatter' originated with the profession of making hats \u2013 which happened to use mercury as part of the creation process, of which exposure caused symptoms like delirium and insanity.<\/p>\n

Hatters, which are hatmakers, were driven insane by their jobs: therefore, it became popular to say in the 1700s and 1800s that someone was to be 'mad as a hatter' if they lost their minds.<\/p>\n

The phrase would continue in use from its early origin through to modern use, with its popularity helped by the character of 'the mad hatter' in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.<\/p>\n

Subsequent popularity of the series kept the idea of being 'mad as a hatter' in popular speech.<\/p>\n

The phrase 'mad as a hatter' was recorded by the website Urban Dictionary in 2016.<\/p>\n

Phrases Similar to Mad As A Hatter<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • Nuttier than a fruitcake<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Phrases Opposite to Mad As A Hatter<\/h2>\n
      \n
    • N\/a<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      What is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n
        \n
      • [Someone is\/they are] mad as a hatter<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Ways People May Say Mad As A Hatter Incorrectly<\/h2>\n

        There are several ways in which someone can misuse (or misunderstand) the phrase 'mad as a hatter' in conversation.<\/p>\n

        When someone is 'mad as a hatter', the phrase means that they are behaving irrationaly or insanely.<\/p>\n

        The phrase can be misspelled as 'mad as a hater' which would not render a valid saying, or it can be misunderstood in another language if it is translated directly and there is no context.<\/p>\n

        Acceptable Ways to Phrase Mad As A Hatter<\/h2>\n

        There are several ways in which someone can use the saying 'mad as a hatter' right in conversation.<\/p>\n

        When someone is 'mad as a hatter' the phrase is used to imply that someone is insane, demented, or that they are deluded about something.<\/p>\n

        Sometimes the phrase can also be used as a self reference.<\/p>\n

        In the negative form, the phrase can be used to say that someone is 'not mad as a hatter'.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Have you seen the common phrase 'mad as a hatter' somewhere in a text (or on the internet), and want to know more about the saying and its origins? 'Mad as a hatter' is a figurative expression with an interesting origin. This post unpacks the meaning, origin, and correct use of the saying. Meaning 'Mad […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10376"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10376"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10376\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10378,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10376\/revisions\/10378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}