'Stir-Crazy' Is Not a Way of Cooking

Now, Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning English.

Today we talk about a common expression made from two common words -- stir and crazy. Put them together and you have the adjective stir-crazy!

Now, before we talk about stir-crazy, let's talk about the words separately, starting with "crazy."

We use the word "crazy" in so many different situations.

For example, one meaning of crazy is insane¹. If someone's behavior is really annoying you, you can say they are driving you crazy - making you lose your mind!

Crazy also means in love with something or someone to an unusual, often comical degree. You can be crazy about baseball, crazy about spaghetti or crazy about traveling. If you are crazy in this way, we might say you have lost your head.

We also use the word "crazy" to mean an extreme level.

For example:

"She has been crazy busy these last few days!"

"That guy is crazy good-looking!"

and

"This spaghetti is crazy good."

Now, the verb "stir." When you stir something, you mix it up. In the kitchen, we often stir dishes like soup and cake batter².

However, stir used to have another meaning. Several online dictionaries say that in the mid-1800s, stir was slang³ for prison.

Aha! That information helps today's expression make sense. "Stir-crazy" means you feel unhappy and upset because you have been in a place for a long time and you want to get out.

Some experts say the term "stir-crazy" dates back to the early 1900s. It was used to describe prisoners who become mentally unbalanced from being locked up. Other prisoners would say they went "stir-crazy."

Today we use the expression to mean stuck in any situation where we do not want to be. If you are stir-crazy, you feel restless, trapped and bored.

Now, let's hear the word used in some examples:

This class is so boring! When will it be over? I'm going stir-crazy sitting here!

The jury⁴ talked about the case in a small room with no air conditioner for nine days. By the tenth day, everyone was stir-crazy.

When is this rain going to stop?! I've been cooped up in the house with the kids all week. I'm completely stir-crazy!

That's right. Even love for those with whom you are stuck is not a fix for feeling stir-crazy!

And that's Words and Their Stories.

Words in This Story

adjective – n. a word that describes a noun or a pronoun

lose your head – expression to not have control of your emotions

slang – n. words that are not considered part of the standard vocabulary of a language and that are used very informally in speech especially by a particular group of people

bored – adj. filled with the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest

cooped up – verbal to keep (a person or animal) inside a building or in a small space especially for a long period of time —usually used as (be) cooped up

1 insane   

adj.蠢极的，荒唐的，精神错乱的，疯狂的

参考例句：

• Insane people are sometimes dangerous.精神病人有时非常危险。
• The letter made her insane with jealousy.那封信使她妒忌得发疯。

2 batter   

v.接连重击；磨损；n.牛奶面糊；击球员

参考例句：

• The batter skied to the center fielder.击球手打出一个高飞球到中外野手。
• Put a small quantity of sugar into the batter.在面糊里放少量的糖。

3 slang   

n.俚语，行话；vt.使用俚语，辱骂；vi.辱骂

参考例句：

• The phrase is labelled as slang in the dictionary.这个短语在这本字典里被注为俚语。
• Slang often goes in and out of fashion quickly.俚语往往很快风行起来又很快不再风行了。

4 jury   

n.陪审团，评委会；adj.临时用的；vt.挑选

参考例句：

• These twelve men are believed to compose the jury.据信，陪审团是由这12人组成的。
• The members of the jury were discharged from their duties.陪审员们被解除了职务。