Whiteisms
The Archive

Etymology Journal ยท W

What are you, nuts?

Meaning

A direct way of telling someone their idea is crazy or their behavior is illogical. It is usually a harsh rejection of a suggestion.

Blunt, disbelief

Used in a sentence

  • We should jump off the roof into the pool? What are you, nuts?
  • You want to spend our rent money on a lottery ticket? What are you, nuts?
  • Asking for a raise during a layoff? What are you, nuts?

The backstory

Nuts has been slang for crazy since the early 1900s. The phrase itself is a staple of American conversational rhythm when someone hears something truly baffling.

Heard in

Nationwide

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