Doolally - Its Crazy Indian Origin

She's not a soldier, she's not Indian, but she's definitely doolally
(photo by Holly Clark)

DOOLALLY

Adjective. Slang (originally military). Early 20th century.

[Deolali, a town near Bombay.]

Originally (now less usual) doolally tap [Urdu from Persian tap fever].

Temporarily insane; deranged; feeble-minded, simple, foolish.

Many years ago, my mother did business with a certain Mr Lally who, seeing as he was a bit nuts, she was always nervous about calling Mr Doolally by mistake. The inevitable problem, of course, was that the more she fretted about what would be quite a profound negotiatory blunder, the more likely it was to become a self-fulfulling prophecy.

For those unfamiliar with this rather delightful Britishism, doolally means a bit nuts, crazy, bonkers, and so forth, and is accompanied by a fittingly  loopy etymology. Deolali is a town near Bombay, India, and it was a staging point for British colonial troops arriving to and leaving from the continent. As well as the military post, Deolali also housed a sanatorium, and it is said that soldiers barracked there (and particularly those who were waiting to absquatulate back to Blighty) would go a bit doolally tap - that is, a bit nuts.

You don't really hear doolally tap anymore, but to say that someone has gone a bit doolally is still well understood throughout Britain. I never found out if Mum did make her little bêtise, but considering that she was a bit doolally herself, I rather think (and hope) that she did.

Do please billet your loopiest comments in the barrack-box below.