screwball

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a whimsically eccentric person
  2. noun a pitch with reverse spin that curves toward the side of the plate from which it was thrown
  3. adjective foolish; totally unsound

Etymology

From screw + ball. Compare typologically German Spinner (akin to spin). Also compare weirdo and weird, from Old English wyrd (“fate”), ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *wert- (“to turn, to spin”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

crackpot, crank, nut, nut case, fruitcake

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