“You have to go on and be crazy. Craziness is like heaven.”
Jimi Hendrix, an American rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter
If you are a music lover, chances are you can remember at least a couple of songs whose names are or include the word “crazy”. If you can’t, here are some famous ones:
Aerosmith – Crazy
See the lyrics here.
Useful vocabulary from the song:
- To drive sb. up the wall – to annoy sb.
- To pull a trick – to play a trick (on sb.), to deceive sb.
- To make good on sth. – to fulfill (a promise)
- To make up – to be reconciled after a quarrel
- To drive sb. crazy – to make sb. crazy
- I feel like the color blue = to feel blue – to be sad
- To pull down the shade = to pull down a window shade (so no one can see what’s inside)
Gnarls Barkley – Crazy
See the lyrics here.
Useful vocabulary from the song:
- To be out of touch – to lack knowledge concerning current events and developments
- The time of one’s life – a period or occasion of exceptional enjoyment
- To be in control – to be able to direct a situation, person, or activity
- To have the heart to do sth. – to be insensitive or hard-hearted enough to do something
- To be out on a limb [lɪm] – to be in a dangerous or uncompromising position, where one is not joined or supported by anyone else; vulnerable
MEANINGS OF “CRAZY”
Interestingly, “crazy” can mean quite different things:
- mad, especially as manifested in wild or aggressive behavior (“crazy” is more informal): He’s crazy! Don’t mess with him!
- extremely angry: Your silence is driving me crazy!
- foolish: You must be crazy thinking that you can make a fortune without working hard!
- extremely enthusiastic: I’m not crazy about the idea!
In American English “crazy” can also be used as an adverb, meaning “extremely” (If you are crazy busy, I’ll call you later) and a noun, meaning a mad person (I need to stay away from that crazy). Note that “crazy” is an informal word, so refrain from using it in informal contexts.
SYNONYMS FOR “CRAZY”
- Kooky – strange or eccentric: She’s been mocked for her kooky ways.
- Nuts/nutty – mad: The way he turns on the television as soon as he walks in drives me nuts.
- Wacky – funny or amusing in a slightly odd or peculiar way: That wacky chase movie really amused me.
- Berserk [bɜː‘sɜːk] – out of control with anger or excitement: After she left him, he went berserk, throwing things about the apartment.
- Cuckoo [‘kukuː] – mad, crazy: People think you’re cuckoo.
- Lunatic [‘luːnətɪk] – extremely foolish or eccentric: He’s always been lunatic but people still like him.
- Potty – extremely enthusiastic about or fond of someone or something: She’s potty about you.
- Bonkers – mad, crazy: The man must be bonkers to take such a risk.
- Delirious – in a state of wild excitement or ecstasy: There was a great roar from the delirious crowd.
“CRAZY” IDIOMS
As for idioms related to craziness, in English there are plenty of them as well:
Like crazy – to a great degree:
Lately I’ve been working like crazy.
(As) mad as a hatter – completely crazy (an allusion to Lewis Carroll’s character the Mad Hatter in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865)):
She is as mad as a hatter – she is constantly moving the furniture about.
Out of one’s tree – completely stupid; mad:
He’s out of his tree! He’s just sped up to like 200 km per hour.
(As) nutty as a fruitcake – completely insane:
Stop laughing so loudly, people will think you’re nutty as a fruitcake.
Soft in the head = nutty:
You’re soft in the head if you think I’ll go along with that.
Off one’s rocker – to be mad, insane:
You’re off your rocker if you think I believe that.
Out to lunch – unaware of or inattentive to present conditions:
She’s really out to lunch these days.
Round the band – mad:
I’d go round the bend looking after kids all day.
Bananas – insane or very silly:
I spend 4 hours playing video games each day! I must be bananas!
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