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crazy as a shithouse rat

A vivid vulgar simile meaning thoroughly, hopelessly crazy.

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#1·Apr 28, 2026

A vivid vulgar simile meaning thoroughly, hopelessly crazy. The image evokes the frantic, chaotic behaviour of a rat trapped in an outhouse. Used to emphasise extreme, unpredictable, or erratic behaviour. More colourful and emphatic than simply saying someone is 'crazy' — the phrase signals a complete absence of rational behaviour.

Anyone who tried that stunt without a safety harness was crazy as a shithouse rat.
Origin: Vulgar American simile; the outhouse rat image evokes frantic desperation; exact origin uncertain but the construction follows folk simile patterns common in rural American speech. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora.
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#2·Apr 27, 2026

(simile, slang, vulgar) Thoroughly crazy.

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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.

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