"stark" = insane

[Wilson Gray]

I've heard "stark, raving nude" used in American BE since 1954. The
first time that I heard it, it totally cracked me up. (This usage of
"crack up" is lacking in Spears. However, it is fully elucidated in
HDAS. Jon knows his bowels!)

-Wilson

On 7/18/07, Chris F Waigl <chris at lascribe.net> wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Chris F Waigl <chris at LASCRIBE.NET>
> Subject:      Re: "stark" = insane
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Laurence Horn wrote:
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> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> > Subject:      Re: "stark" = insane
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > At 7:12 AM -0700 7/18/07, Arnold M. Zwicky wrote:
> >
> >> On Jul 18, 2007, at 6:50 AM, Jon Lighter wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>> OED lacks British slang "stark," adj., meaning "crazy."
> >>>
> >> a clipping of "stark ravers" or "stark raving mad", involving "stark"
> >> 'to the fullest extent or degree; absolutely, utterly,
> >> quite' (OED)'?  (OED has "stark raving mad", "stark staring mad", and
> >> "stark ravers"
> >>
> >
> > The OED also has "starkers", for either 'stark naked' or 'stark
> > raving mad'.  I think I've come upon this in Bridget Jones or a
> > similar place, definitely British.  (I no longer remember which of
> > these senses was intended.)
> >
> >
>
> I've certainly heard "starker" in both senses in conversations here in
> London.
>
> However, I just asked the (native British English speaking) colleague
> what "starker" evokes for him, and he replied "nude". He wouldn't employ
> it in the sense of "mad".
>
> Cheers,
>
> Chris Waigl
>
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