have bats in one's belfry
1899, from tendency of bats to fly around erratically, with “belfry” indicating “head, mind”. Verb
  1. (idiomatic, intransitive) To be crazy or eccentric.
    Anyone declaring himself Emperor of San Francisco probably had bats in his belfry.
Synonyms Translations
  • French: avoir une araignée au plafond
  • Italian: mancare di qualche rotella, essere svitato
  • Russian: винтика в голове не хватает
  • Spanish: tener pájaros en la cabeza



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