Sticking straws in your hair?

[Wayne Brown]

Does anyone know from whence comes the expression "stick straws in
his hair" as a way of saying someone's a bit cracked? Mr. Wodehouse
used variations of this quite often in his writing, but the only other
writer I've found using it is Douglas Adams. I suspect he got it from
Wodehouse's books, though I suppose it might be a familiar British
expression that I (as a humble Yank) haven't happened to stumble across
elsewhere. I'm curious to know the origin of this charming phrase.

[g***@gmail.com]

Post by Wayne Brown
Does anyone know from whence comes the expression "stick straws in
his hair" as a way of saying someone's a bit cracked? Mr. Wodehouse

The Oxford English Dictionary gives us this:

e. to have straws in one's hair (and varr.): to be insane, eccentric,
or distracted.

1890 'L. CARROLL' Nursery 'Alice' x. 39 That's the March Hare,
with the long ears, and straws mixed up with his hair. The straws
showed he was madI don't know why. Never twist up straws among your
hair, for fear people should think you're mad!] 1923 WODEHOUSE
Inimitable Jeeves vii. 72 When your uncle the Duke begins to feel the
strain a bit and you find him in the blue drawing-room sticking straws
in his hair, old Glossop is the first person you send for. 1925 Carry
On, Jeeves! vi. 142 His [sc. a psychiatrist's] outlook on life has
become so jaundiced through constant association with coves who are
picking straws out of their hair. 1937 D. L. SAYERS Busman's Honeymoon
xviii. 346 (heading) Straws in the hair. 1962 'S. WOODS' Bloody
Instructions ix. 100 Dennis Dowling..brought with him an atmosphere of
mingled drama and insanity. Antony thought: 'definitely straws in the
hair' as soon as he opened the door.

That at least gives an early citing than Wodehouse, and as the OED
usually gets this sort of thing right, Carroll is probably the first to
put this in print. However, my mental image is the village idiot
playing in a haystack, so the origination is probably as old as english
countryside.

Cheers,
Torrance S.

[Wayne Brown]

Post by g***@gmail.com
That at least gives an early citing than Wodehouse, and as the OED
usually gets this sort of thing right, Carroll is probably the first to
put this in print. However, my mental image is the village idiot
playing in a haystack, so the origination is probably as old as english
countryside.

Thanks very much for the OED citation! That's just the sort of thing
I was seeking.

[Reece]

Post by Wayne Brown

Post by g***@gmail.com
That at least gives an early citing than Wodehouse, and as the OED
usually gets this sort of thing right, Carroll is probably the first to
put this in print. However, my mental image is the village idiot
playing in a haystack, so the origination is probably as old as english
countryside.

Thanks very much for the OED citation! That's just the sort of thing
I was seeking.

Thanks from me too. I have read Busman's Honeymoon by Sayers, and was
rather confused by the bit where Lord Peter sticks straws in his hair. Now
I know that it is a (or at least was at the time) a fairly standard
metaphor for craziness, it makes a bit more sense.

R.

[Lorrill Buyens]

Post by g***@gmail.com

Post by Wayne Brown
Does anyone know from whence comes the expression "stick straws in
his hair" as a way of saying someone's a bit cracked? Mr. Wodehouse

e. to have straws in one's hair (and varr.): to be insane, eccentric,
or distracted.
1890 'L. CARROLL' Nursery 'Alice' x. 39 That's the March Hare,
with the long ears, and straws mixed up with his hair. The straws
showed he was madI don't know why. Never twist up straws among your
hair, for fear people should think you're mad!] 1923 WODEHOUSE
Inimitable Jeeves vii. 72 When your uncle the Duke begins to feel the
strain a bit and you find him in the blue drawing-room sticking straws
in his hair, old Glossop is the first person you send for. 1925 Carry
On, Jeeves! vi. 142 His [sc. a psychiatrist's] outlook on life has
become so jaundiced through constant association with coves who are
picking straws out of their hair. 1937 D. L. SAYERS Busman's Honeymoon
xviii. 346 (heading) Straws in the hair. 1962 'S. WOODS' Bloody
Instructions ix. 100 Dennis Dowling..brought with him an atmosphere of
mingled drama and insanity. Antony thought: 'definitely straws in the
hair' as soon as he opened the door.
That at least gives an early citing than Wodehouse, and as the OED
usually gets this sort of thing right, Carroll is probably the first to
put this in print. However, my mental image is the village idiot
playing in a haystack, so the origination is probably as old as english
countryside.

I've always assumed it was a reference to Bedlam, myself. Didn't they have
straw beds for the loonies when it was first instituted, or am I misremembering
various accounts of medieval dungeons?

Post by g***@gmail.com
Cheers,
Torrance S.

Cordially yours,
Rosie M. Banks

[g***@gmail.com]

Post by Lorrill Buyens
I've always assumed it was a reference to Bedlam, myself. Didn't they have
straw beds for the loonies when it was first instituted, or am I misremembering
various accounts of medieval dungeons?

I say, that's a rather good reference. I tried searching the OED and
didn't come up with anything, but when researching Bedlam on google, I
came across the artist Richard Dadd. I had been familiar with his
painting "Come unto these Yellow Sands", a good rendition of a scene
from the Tempest, and so I followed up this connection.

I didn't realize that Richard Dadd had been committed to Bedlam
(Bethlem Hospital) in 1844 for murdering his father. While there he
painted "Crazy Jane" (1854)

Small version and detail here:
http://www.noumenal.com/marc/dadd/

Larver version (direct link, 1.2 mb)
Loading Image...

And what does she have in her hair?

I think this makes a strong case for the Bedlam -> Straw in Hair
connection. Thanks Lorrill!