# UK, Ozzie, Kiwi dopes - the word "crazy" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 17, 2005, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753 "2005-04-17T10:34:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/1 "2005-04-17T10:34:20Z")
I know you guys use the word “mad” to mean “insane.” What does the word “crazy” mean to you? Do you use it often? ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/2 "2005-04-17T10:49:15Z")
Here in Auckland, we use “crazy” to mean insane, more than we use “mad”. ---
**Author:** ![Dinaroozie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Dinaroozie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinaroozie)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/3 "2005-04-17T10:58:34Z")
Well, when we say “crazy”, we mean “insane”. And yeah, in my experience it’s pretty common. I wish I had something more interesting to say, but that’s really about the extent of it, so far as I know. ~ Isaac ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/4 "2005-04-17T11:03:15Z")
As far as I’m aware there is no difference to the North American usage in this one. It means “insane” alone, where “mad” does double duty with the "angry " definition, but I think all of this is universal to the English-speaking world. ---
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/5 "2005-04-17T11:03:50Z")
In the U.K. we use crazy in a couple of different ways, for example: That car had some crazy wheelspin (crazy meaning excessive amounts of). The guy went crazy and had to be locked up (crazy usually meaning mentally unstable). ---
**Author:** ![Dinaroozie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Dinaroozie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinaroozie)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/6 "2005-04-17T11:31:48Z")
Actually, I have episodes of the West Wing playing in the background, and it seems that they occasionally say “crazy” to mean “angry”. We don’t do that. Just a thought. ~ Isaac ---
**Author:** ![klintypooh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3da27b/32.png) [@klintypooh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/klintypooh)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/7 "2005-04-17T12:31:36Z")
I haven’t noticed anybody else with this answer but here we use crazy to mean insane. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/8 "2005-04-17T17:31:20Z")
> [@mittu](#): > > In the U.K. we use crazy in a couple of different ways, for example: > > That car had some crazy wheelspin (crazy meaning excessive amounts of). > The guy went crazy and had to be locked up (crazy usually meaning mentally unstable). Mad has multiple meanings, too, as in “mad as fuck” (possibly regional). ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/9 "2005-04-17T21:49:17Z")
‘Ker-razy’ - slightly sarcastic ‘way-out’ kind of expression. Also, probably more commonly, it can mean general confusion or disorganisation: _“that’s a crazy way to structure a database”_ ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/10 "2005-04-17T22:02:01Z")
I use mad to mean very unusual or unexpected “That was maaad!” BTW when we say ‘pissed’ we usually mean drunk. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/11 "2005-04-17T22:29:18Z")
By the way, do Aussies, kiwis, and Merkins have the term “Pissing it down”? Because that’s what it’s been doing all day here. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/12 "2005-04-17T22:32:39Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > By the way, do Aussies, kiwis, and Merkins have the term “Pissing it down”? Yes, although we’d tend to say it slightly differently: _it’s pissing down_. Unfortunately it hasn’t done so very much over the past few years due to drought. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/13 "2005-04-17T23:43:49Z")
I think adding ‘it’ to the phrase is an Accrington thing 😃 pissing down is more universal. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/14 "2005-04-17T23:51:20Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > By the way, do Aussies, kiwis, and Merkins have the term “Pissing it down”? Merkins? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/15 "2005-04-17T23:58:01Z")
UK; it can mean insane in a general, non-clinical sense - “fifteen quid for steak and chips? that’s crazy” And of course there’s [Crazy Paving](http://www.purpletree.co.uk/crazypaving.htm) (in which ‘crazy’ means ‘cracked’), but that’s sort of irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/16 "2005-04-17T23:58:02Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > Merkins? 😕 You have to say it out loud. Americans ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/17 "2005-04-18T00:02:51Z")
That’s how “Americans” is pronounced on the Isle of Man? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/18 "2005-04-18T00:10:39Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > That’s how “Americans” is pronounced on the Isle of Man? No. It’s been used on the board before. It’s an affectionate way of saying Americans. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/19 "2005-04-18T02:42:06Z")
> [@Walloon](#): > > … [Merkins] … That’s how “Americans” is pronounced on the Isle of Man? No, it’s how it is pronounced in [parts of] the USA. It wouldn’t be funny otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2005, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753/20 "2005-04-18T04:34:43Z")
[hi, jack] 'Merkins - That term prob’ly started rat heah in Amurika. There’s a cliche’d skit about a southern politician, maybe Lyndon Johnson, starting a speech, “Mah fella 'Merkans…” “Pissing it down” - nope, never heard of it. I think that “piss” is slightly more off-color here than in the English-speaking countries. (Wait… isn’t piss the same range of colors everywhere?.. Well, never mind.) [/ hi, jack] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-ozzie-kiwi-dopes-the-word-crazy/299753.md?page=2)