- Meaning
- This idiom describes someone who is extremely crazy, irrational, or behaving in a wildly erratic manner. It’s a colorful way to emphasize mental instability or absurd actions, often used humorously or critically to highlight bizarre behavior.
- Origin
- The phrase likely derives from the erratic barking of rabid or distressed dogs, associated with madness in folklore. It emerged in British English in the early 20th century, possibly from the phrase ‘mad as a dog,’ with ‘barking’ adding vivid imagery. A 1927 *Daily Express* article used ‘barking mad’ to describe an eccentric aristocrat. Its popularity grew in the UK, especially in slang-heavy contexts, and it’s now used globally, often with a playful tone.
- Variants
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- Bark mad
- Absolutely barking
- Examples
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- He’s barking mad to think he can climb that mountain without any gear.
- She went barking mad, shouting at the TV during the game show.
- Planning a wedding in one week? That’s absolutely barking mad!
- They’re barking mad for investing all their money in that shaky scheme.
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