• 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 does the phrase “bats in one’s belfry” come from and What does it mean?

Where does the phrase “bats in one’s belfry” come from and What does it mean?

June 6, 2020 by Karen Hill

One wonders why such a typical Americanism was not coined until early in the present century.

We suspect that it must have come from the fertile imagination of Sime Silverman, the editorial genius and apt word-coiner who guided the theatrical journal, Variety, until his death in 1933, but if so, I find no proof.

The earliest record is in 1912, in a novel by Henry Sydnor Harrison. Even the derivative, “batty,” a slang equivalent for crazy, was a later development.

The explanation is simple: as “belfry” is that part of a church tower in which the bells are hung, it suggests, therefore, the head.

Bats are known to be frequenters of bell towers; they fly around crazily; ergo, they are crazy. Hence, to have bats in one’s belfry is to be crazy in the head.

Related Facts

  • Where does the phrase "to come to the end of one's rope" come from and What does it mean?
  • What does the phrase "come hell or high water" mean and Where does it come from?
  • What Does the Expression "Until the Cows Come Home" Mean and Where Did the Phrase Come From?
  • Where does the phrase "touch and go" come from and What does touch and go mean?
  • Where does the phrase "alpha and omega" come from and What does alpha and omega mean?
  • Where does the phrase "cock and bull story" come from and What does it mean?
  • Where does the phrase "to rain cats and dogs" come from and What does the expression mean?
  • Where does the phrase "best bib and tucker" come from and What does it mean?
  • What does the phrase "to swallow a tale hook, line, and sinker" mean and Where does it come from?
  • Where does the phrase "lock, stock, and barrel" come from and What does it mean?
  • Where does the phrase "a song and dance" come from and What does it mean?
  • Where does the phrase "to mind one's p's and q's" come from and What does it mean?

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: « Where does the expression “to come out at the little end of the horn” come from and What does it mean?
Next Post: Where does the expression “Annie Oakley” come from and What does it 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 © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy