belfry
have bats in (one's) belfry
To be crazy; to act, think, or behave in a foolish or nonsensical manner. Tommy has bats in his belfry if he thinks he can convince our mother to let him get a tattoo for his birthday. There's an old lady who stands on the corner yelling at strangers all day. I think she might have bats in her belfry.
See also: bats, belfry, have
have bats in the belfry
To be crazy; to act, think, or behave in a foolish or nonsensical manner. Tommy must have bats in the belfry if he thinks he can convince our mother to let him get a tattoo for his birthday. There's an old lady who stands on the corner yelling at strangers all day. I think she might have bats in the belfry.
See also: bats, belfry, have
have got bats in (one's) belfry
To be crazy; to act, think, or behave in a foolish or nonsensical manner. Tommy has got bats in his belfry if he thinks he can convince our mother to let him get a tattoo for his birthday. There's an old lady who stands on the corner yelling at strangers all day. I think she's got bats in her belfry.
See also: bats, belfry, have
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
have bats in one's belfry
Inf. Fig. to be crazy. You must really have bats in your belfry if you think I'll put up with that kind of stuff. Pay no attention to her. She has bats in her belfry.
See also: bats, belfry, have
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
bats in one's belfry, have
Be crazy or at least very eccentric, as in Sally thought her aunt's belief in ghosts indicated she had bats in her belfry. This term in effect likens the bat's seemingly erratic flight in the dark to ideas flying around in a person's head. [Early 1900s]
See also: bats, have
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
have bats in the belfry
orhave bats in your belfry
OLD-FASHIONEDIf someone has bats in the belfry they are crazy. Don't say that to anyone else or they'll think you've got bats in the belfry! Note: The belfry is the top part of a church tower where the bells are kept, and bats resting there would fly about wildly when disturbed by the bells being rung. In this expression, the belfry represents the person's head.
See also: bats, belfry, have
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
have bats in the (or your) belfry
be eccentric or crazy. informalThis expression refers to the way in which bats in an enclosed space fly about wildly if they are disturbed.
c. 1901 G. W. Peck Peck's Red-Headed Boy They all thought a crazy man with bats in his belfry had got loose.
See also: bats, belfry, have
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
have ˌbats in the ˈbelfry
(old-fashioned, informal) be crazy or eccentricSee also: bats, belfry, have
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
have bats in one’s belfry
(...ˈbɛlfri) tv. to be crazy. (see also bats. Have got can replace have.) Pay no attention to her. She has bats in her belfry.
See also: bats, belfry, have
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
have bats in (one's) belfry
To behave in an eccentric, bizarre manner.
See also: bats, belfry, have
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
bats in one's belfry, to have
To be slightly crazy or quite eccentric. The term alludes to the bat’s seemingly erratic flight in the dark, which is transferred to thoughts flying about in the head. In reality, the bat has a sophisticated sonar system whose nature came to light only recently. In flight it keeps up a constant twittering noise that bounces back from solid objects in its path. This echo enables the animal to avoid actually bumping into obstacles. Nevertheless, bats have long been associated with craziness. See also blind as a bat.
See also: bats, have
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- have bats in (one's) belfry
- have bats in belfry
- have bats in one’s belfry
- have bats in the belfry
- have got bats in (one's) belfry
- bats in one's belfry, have
- have toys in the attic
- have a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock
- have kangaroos in (one's)/the top paddock
- have kangaroos in the top paddock