have bats in one's belfry
A bit crazy
To have bats in one's belfry is to be eccentric, crazy, or mentally unsound.
The image is of a church bell tower infested with bats—suggesting a head full of erratic, fluttering thoughts rather than orderly ones.
The expression is old-fashioned and usually playful rather than clinical: The neighbors think old Mr. Henderson has bats in his belfry.
Often shortened to just bats or batty.
- mad as a hatterCompletely, absurdly insane
- stark raving madUtterly, wildly insane
- battyMildly eccentric or daft
- squirrellyRestless and unpredictable
- cuckooBrood parasite bird
touched · loose screw · oddball · bonkers · round the bend · quirky · loopy · not all there · kooky · nutty · out to lunch · away with the fairies · harebrained · peculiar · unconventional · idiosyncratic · crackers · zany
mental soundness
have bats in one's belfrysane
Mentally healthy, clearheaded
rational · sensible · of sound mind · level-headed · in one's right mind