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

“I went out one time and told him, in Spanish, to throw his next pitch, his famous screwball, into the dirt,” Scioscia says.

From Los Angeles Times

Valley College star who had spent parts of three seasons with the Dodgers, threw a screwball.

From Los Angeles Times

He should be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame for his contributions to the game, and if the people who make those decisions don’t understand that, they’re all screwballs.

From Los Angeles Times

Lawrence created TV series including “Scrubs” and “Ted Lasso,” shows that demonstrate a screwball comedy-like facility with banter.

From Los Angeles Times

Does Honeycutt, who has spent more than five decades in the game, think the screwball is too taxing on the arm?

From Los Angeles Times