Where does the term crackpot come from?? Someone asked me, but I had no idea, SO i decided to see if anyone here knew…
In reference to another thread in which I posted about the best location at which to obtain crack pipes, I opine that a crack pot is the pot in which one keeps his crack. This may or may not be true. It may also be a reference to a blunt laced with crack. One cannot definitively be sure. However, in order to redeem some redeeming legitimacy to my posts, I’ll add this:
And the OED spaketh
[For cracked pot (cf. CRACK-BRAIN and POT n.1 7a).]
A crack-brain, a crazy creature, a crank. Also attrib.
1883 Broadside Ballad (Farmer), My aunty knew lots, and called them crack-pots. 1919 J. C. SNAITH Love Lane xiv. 65 He felt that it would annoy this Toplofty Crackpot. 1927 H. M. TOMLINSON Gallions Reach xxxiii. 254 We can’t go doddering across Malaya behind an inspired crackpot following the Holy Grail, can we? 1934 A. WOOLLCOTT While Rome Burns 15 The true story of crackpot Marigold. 1944 L. LARIAR Man with Lumpy Nose xiv. 130 Everybody knew that Herb was a member of the Crackpot Brooklyn youth organization. 1959 J. CARY Captive & Free 211 The public is used to grievance-mongers and despises 'emthey’ll put him down for a crack-pot. 1959 G. JENKINS Twist of Sand v. 91 The High Command still thought it a crackpot idea, fraught with all kinds of difficulties and dangers.
[For crackt-brain: see next and CRACK- 2.]
One having a cracked brain or impaired intellect; a crazy fellow.
c1570 Marr. Wit & Sc. II. i. in Hazl. Dodsley II. 334 Such a crackbrain as thou art. a1661 B. HOLYDAY Juvenal 91 Sure, once thou wast No crack-brain. 1831 CARLYLE Misc. (1857) II. 329 If the unhappy crackbrain has any handicraft.
b. attrib.
1718 F. HUTCHINSON Witchcraft Ded., Any crack’d brain Girl. 1815 LAMB Lett. to Southey in Talfourd II. 10 These crack-brain metaphysics.