Lost His Marbles Origin

Meaning and origin of the phrase to lose one s marbles.

Lost his marbles origin.

During the late 19th century losing one s marbles began to be used to mean getting frustrated or angry. For i tell you that no boy ever lost his marbles more irrevocably than you and i will lose our self respect if we remain to take part in a wordy discussion that ends in a broil. Can you tell me the origin of the expression he has lost his marbles meaning gone mad or lost his reason or done something really stupid being a londoner myself i suspected it might be a cockney expression but i recently heard it in peter pan where the uncle who is not quite compos mentis is said to have found his lost marbles. Lost his marbles phrase.

Umpire harrill lost his marbles in the eighth inning and called five balls on one man before giving him his base. The act or process of going crazy usually caused by life stressors. To lose one s marbles means to go insane to take leave on one s wits to lose one s mind. What does lost his marbles expression mean.

The idiom to lose one s marbles has a rather convoluted origin. Definitions by the largest idiom dictionary. Another early instance is from the indianapolis morning star indianapolis indiana of 1 st june 1907. The orgin of the phrase is unknown but has been referenced numerous times in popular culuture.

At one time to lose one s marbles meant to become angry. At one time marbles was a slang term for furniture a misrepresentation of the french word for. Also used in the past tense phrase. The term lose one s marbles has undergone an evolution in meaning.

This reference from new zealand was printed in the tuapeka times in august 1889.