Drive crazy

Meaning

The idiom "drive crazy" means to make someone extremely angry, anxious, or frustrated by doing something repeatedly or continuously. The phrase can also refer to a situation that causes people to lose their sanity or reason. Example sentences:

• Your constant nagging is driving me crazy.
• The traffic jam was making me drive crazy.
• The endless repetition of the same song was driving my colleagues crazy.
• The stress from work has been driving me crazy for weeks now.
• I'm afraid that the new manager's aggressive personality will drive my team crazy.

Usage

The usage of "drive crazy" can vary depending on the context. It can be used in a casual or informal setting, but it can also be used in a more professional context to describe a situation that is causing extreme stress or anxiety. The phrase can be used as an exclamation or as a statement, and it can also be used as a verb, such as "he's driving me crazy with his constant talking."

Roots and History

The origin of the phrase "drive crazy" is unclear, but it has been in use since at least the late 19th century. One theory suggests that the phrase comes from the old English word "craegian," which means to make someone lose their senses or reason. Another theory suggests that it comes from the verb "to drive," which means to push or coerce someone into doing something against their will. The phrase has been used in literature, poetry, and music to describe a situation that is causing extreme stress or anxiety.

Synonyms in English

• Make me crazy with joy/angry/frustrated.
• Drive me up the wall.
• Go nuts with it.
• I'm going bonkers over this.
• Let's go bananas.

Synonyms in other languages

• Spanish - Darme locura (to make me crazy).
• French - Faire tout trembler en moi (to make everything shake inside me).
• German - Gehen auf die Nerven (to go crazy).
• Italian - Avere paura di morte (to be afraid of death).
• Japanese - 心理的な疲れ (psychiatric fatigue).

Similar Idioms

• die in harness

• method to madness

• dark horse