Looney

/ˈluːni/ adjective

Definition

Silly, crazy, or mentally unbalanced; acting in a wild or irrational way.

Etymology

From 'lunatic,' which derives from Latin 'luna' (moon). Medieval people believed the moon affected mental states, so 'lunar' became 'looney.' The spelling changed as it became informal slang.

Kelly Says

It's wild that 'looney' comes from the belief that the moon makes people crazy—while that's scientifically false, the moon actually does affect ocean tides through gravity, so ancient people were sensing *something* real about lunar power!

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