# Poll: Starkers **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 4, 2011, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-starkers/601825 "2011-11-04T05:54:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-starkers/601825/1 "2011-11-04T05:54:24Z")
I swear I’ve heard both definitions for this word, but let’s see, shall we? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-starkers/601825/2 "2011-11-04T06:02:21Z")
To me (UK), “starkers” is specifically and only ever ‘naked’. “Stark raving bonkers” is ‘insane’, but I’ve never heard or seen it shortened. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-starkers/601825/3 "2011-11-04T06:57:18Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > To me (UK), “starkers” is specifically and only ever ‘naked’. > > “Stark raving bonkers” is ‘insane’, but I’ve never heard or seen it shortened. This. I would have gone with “Stark raving mad” for the second example, but that’s even further from what the OP’s going for. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-starkers/601825/4 "2011-11-04T08:33:09Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > To me (UK), “starkers” is specifically and only ever ‘naked’. > > “Stark raving bonkers” is ‘insane’, but I’ve never heard or seen it shortened. Aussie. Same answer though probably not bonkers, just stark raving mad or a stark raving lunatic. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-starkers/601825/5 "2011-11-04T09:08:54Z")
To me, (USAian) it could be either naked or crazy, depending on context. Or both, as the two situations aren’t always mutually exclusive of each other. ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-starkers/601825/6 "2011-11-04T09:22:30Z")
If Jim is starkers, he’s definitely in the naked nudidity. If he’s stark raving mad, he’s mental and hopefully fully clothed. Something with long sleeves that buckle at the back would be comforting fashion statement. For me, not him. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-starkers/601825/7 "2011-11-04T12:32:43Z")
If you said he IS starkers, I would assume he’s insane. If you said he WAS starkers, I’d assume he was naked at some point in the past. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-starkers/601825/8 "2011-11-04T13:14:43Z")
> [@HazelNutCoffee](#): > > If you said he IS starkers, I would assume he’s insane. If you said he WAS starkers, I’d assume he was naked at some point in the past. This! ---
**Author:** ![applebetty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4af34b/32.png) [@applebetty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/applebetty)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-starkers/601825/9 "2011-11-04T14:57:24Z")
It depends on context. Stark raving mad vs. stark naked. “He’s starkers!” is not heard much around here, usually he’s either nekkid as a jay bird or just plain crazy, but he could be both. US, Deep South here. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-starkers/601825/10 "2011-11-04T15:03:03Z")
I’ve thrown over ‘starkers’ for the more current ‘nakies.’ ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-starkers/601825/11 "2011-11-04T15:08:39Z")
USA-type. Never heard the term before this thread. It sounds Brit / Aussie / Kiwi / etc. to me but could mean darn near anything. My first guess was it was a new hipster terms for people with very black-and-white political / social opinions. ---
**Author:** ![Scubaqueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@Scubaqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scubaqueen)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-starkers/601825/12 "2011-11-04T17:01:50Z")
USAian here (good term, that, **cochrane** ). 😃 starkers = naked barking = nuts Lots of BBCA watched. And Harry Potter movies. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-starkers/601825/13 "2011-11-04T17:39:32Z")
starkers = stark naked rather than stark raving mad or stark staring mad ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-starkers/601825/14 "2011-11-04T18:39:01Z")
I’ve only ever heard “starkers” refer to someone totally naked. ---
**Author:** ![Cap\_n\_Obvious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@Cap\_n\_Obvious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Obvious)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-starkers/601825/15 "2011-11-04T19:44:21Z")
Starkers have always meant naked to me, and I’m from the deep south of GA as well. On an aside, am I the only one who misread the title of the thread as poll strokers?