Feb 21 2006
mad as a hatter
The phrase ‘mad as a hatter’ describes unpredictable behaviour. It originated from the middle ages when felt hats were made using a toxic substance called mercurous nitrate which caused symptoms similar to Parkinsons disease. People behaving like this (hatters) were assumed to be mad (UK, Crazy US). The phrase became more common after Lewis Carroll used it for a character in ‘Alice in wonderland’.
I am not a talented accessorizer. I do adore hats. They are a fabulous way of keeping
- (ex)static hair from frightening the neighbours
- your ears toasty-warmy and dry
- looking cute
- your glasses from blowing-off in high-winds
Here’s an insight into the unboxed part of my addiction. Approximately 40 hats:
mad as a hatter
Oooo, much better storage than my current toss on the end of the sofa. I lose hats for weeks doing that.
WOAH!
I own three hats. A fuzzy blue one for winter when I might physically die if I don’t wear a hat (haven’t worn it since I left the East Coast), a dingy green ballcap that used to say Britches (was a men’s store), but when I was a drunk teenager I picked out the R stitch, and lastly, a visor for when I was rowing.
Yeah, that’s it.