• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Language / Where Did the Term “Crackpot” For a Crazy Person Originate and What Does the Word Mean?

Where Did the Term “Crackpot” For a Crazy Person Originate and What Does the Word Mean?

March 27, 2020 by Karen Hill

The word crackpot is often used to describe an irrational crazy person.

Crackpots have always been with us, but the term only came into use in the late 1800s.

The term plays on the obsolete use of the word pot to describe a skull.

It suggests that the person in question has a cracked skull, which is causing him or her to behave in a mad, foolish, or eccentric manner.

Crackpot should not be confused with crock pot.

Related Facts

  • Who was Crazy Horse and How did Crazy Horse get his name?
  • Who Made the “Skulls of Doom”?
  • What Is the Mystery of Crazy Horse’s Grave?
  • Where does the word “fun” originate and What does fun mean?
  • Who Discovered Human Evolution and When was the Taung skull found in South Africa?
  • Why Did Chief Crazy Horse Wear a Stone Behind His Ear?

Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Why Are Traffic Lights Red, Yellow, and Green and What Do the Different Colors Mean For Signaling?
Next Post: Why Is the Last Car On a Freight Train Called a “Caboose” and What Does the Word Mean? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy