Nutty as a fruitcake

What does the ‘Nutty as a fruitcake’ idiom mean?

When someone is said to be nutty as a fruitcake, it means they are crazy, idiot, or strange. Someone is foolish, eccentric or acts in a kooky manner. To be insane.

Where does it come from?

According to Phrases.com, this idiom dates back to America in the late 1920s. The adjective “nutty” was used a slang to designate a foolish person.

In 1914, this phrase appeared in Eugene O’Neill’s play, The Movie Man, with a memorable simile:

« We sure are as nutty as a fruitcake or we wouldn’t be here.« 

The slang “nut” is also used commonly for someone who is extremely eccentric in his behavior. And fruitcakes contain nuts, so the expression “nutty as a fruitcake” is born to refer to a person who behaves in a strange manner. 

Examples to use this idiom…

• Miller may be nutty as a fruitcake, but he has a real following on the right.
• She is nutty as a fruitcake to give all her money to charity.
• If you believe in the existence of UFOs, then you are nutty as a fruitcake.

You can also say: to have a screw loose, to have bats in the belfry, the elevator doesn’t go to the top floor, to be missing aces and tens, to be a few sangers short of a picnic, to be a few bricks shy of a load, to be a few cans short of a six-pack, to have rooms to rent, to not be playing with a full deck, the lights are on but no one’s at home.

Translation into French: Avoir une case en moins (To have one box less), Ne pas avoir la lumière à tous les étages (Not to have lights on at every floor)