Barmy
adj, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
- 1 plural of barma (“a regal Russian mantle or neckpiece made of gold, encrusted with diamonds and other gems”) British, Ireland, archaic, form-of, informal, plural
- 1 Containing, covered with, or pertaining to barm (“foam rising upon beer or other malt liquors when fermenting, used as leaven in brewing and making bread”). also, archaic, figuratively
"[T]each thy Incubus to Poëtize, / And throvve abroad thy ſpurious Snotteries, / Vpon that puft-vp Lumpe of Barmy froth, […]"
- 2 Crazy, mad; also, eccentric, odd, strange. British, Ireland, archaic, informal
"[T]he exercise yard of the "barmy fellows," as he called the madmen, (meaning, I suppose, that their brains were in an unnatural state of working,) was but a stone's throw from himself and his rational companions, […]"
- 3 Bubbling with activity or excitement; active, excited. archaic, figuratively
"Just now I've taen the fit o' rhyme, / My barmie noddle's working prime, […]"
- 4 Very foolish. British, Ireland, archaic, informal
- 1 informal or slang terms for mentally irregular wordnet
- 2 marked by spirited enjoyment wordnet
Example
More examples"Mary said to Tom: "You're barmy!""
Etymology
From barm (“foam rising upon beer or other malt liquors when fermenting, and used as leaven”) + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of’ forming adjectives). Barm is derived from Middle English berm, berme (“foam rising upon ale or beer fermenting; leaven, yeast; foam or head of beer produced by pouring”) [and other forms], from Old English beorma (“foam or head of beer; leaven, yeast”), from Proto-West Germanic *bermō (“barm; yeast”); further etymology uncertain, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewh₁- (“to boil; to brew”) or *gʷʰer- (“warm; hot”).
Probably an alteration of balmy (“foolish; slightly crazy or mad, eccentric”), influenced by barm (“foam rising upon beer or other malt liquors when fermenting, and used as leaven”) (see etymology 1).
Borrowed from Russian бармы (barmy).