screwball

[ skroo-bawl ]

noun

1. Slang. an eccentric or irrational person; a nut:

   When the FBI first looked into him, they thought he was a harmless screwball.

2. Baseball. a pitched ball that curves toward the side of the plate from which it was thrown, in a trajectory opposite to that of a curve ball:

   Has the once popular screwball vanished completely from the major leagues?

adjective

1. Slang. eccentric or irrational; nutty:

   What a screwball idea!

screwball

/ ˈskruːˌbɔːl /

noun

1. an odd or eccentric person

adjective

1. odd; zany; eccentric

Word History and Origins

Origin of screwball¹

First recorded in 1865–70; in 1935–40 screwball fordef 2; screw + ball ¹

Example Sentences

We never tell him, 'Great screwball,' though, because then his elbow would hurt.

From The Daily Beast

His Girl Friday (1940) A must for anyone interested in journalism (or screwball comedies).

From The Daily Beast

The quirky tenor of his voice, combined with his observant, mocking tone, gelled perfectly with the screwball proceedings.

From The Daily Beast

Their screwball-style repartee—intellectual rather than romantic—reveals not a sexual chemistry, but a winning comedic one.

From The Daily Beast

The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare, by G.K. Chesterton—A nightmare all right: lurid, screwball, and grotesque.

From The Daily Beast

An unpredictable, erratic screwball but one of the finest rocket riders who ever flashed through the void.

From Project Gutenberg

"This is what I got out of checking all the screwball factories I could reach personal and by mail," Clocker said.

From Project Gutenberg

Whatever came up—a screwball flying saucer or a berserk psycho waving a gun.

From Project Gutenberg