go stir-crazy

go stir-crazy

To become acutely anxious, restless, irritable, irrational, and/or depressed from remaining for too long in an unstimulating, confined, and/or isolated environment. "Stir" in this usage is a slang word for prison. We thought taking our family vacation in a tiny cottage out in the country would be a nice break from city life, but we all went a bit stir-crazy after a few days. The doctor said I need to remain in bed as much as possible, but I'll go stir-crazy if I can't get out of the house at least once a day!
See also: go
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • stir crazy
  • stir-crazy
  • cabin fever
  • go bonkers
  • have (one's) back up
  • have back up
  • get (one's) back up
  • get back up
  • get someone's back up
  • get/put somebody's back up
References in periodicals archive
I'd go stir-crazy if I had to stay on a train for seven days without getting off, but we were getting off all the time.
"Why do people go stir-crazy when they haven't exercised enough, or when they are not feeding themselves with the right nutrients at the right time?
A dog used to seeing the action might go stir-crazy in a pit because he cannot see the ducks approach or fall from the sky.
"My kids go stir-crazy if you don't take them out and exhaust them physically," she said.
"You can go stir-crazy as well when you are away, and the boys were ready to leave by the end, ten days was enough.
But it is unrealistic, and counter-productive, for players to go stir-crazy in their hotel rooms.
Overall: Even if you go stir-crazy, you'll do so comfortably.
We would go stir-crazy if we tried to dissect it too much.
"It's been ideal preparation for the tour - it's nice to get outside and bowl again because you can go stir-crazy when you're stuck indoors all winter.