English

Alternative forms

• as mad as a cut snake

Adjective

mad as a cut snake ‎(not comparable)

1. (Australia, simile, colloquial) Very irate, crazy with rage.
   • 2005, Melody Carlson, Fool's Gold: Color Me Consumed, unnumbered page,

     I′m feeling slightly less furious than I was earlier, but I′m still about as mad as a cut snake.

   • 2009, Robert Sims, Tropic of Death, page 346,

     Sutcliffe went in hard, did everything to provoke him. Got him as mad as a cut snake.

   • 2009, Kate Hoffmann, Harlequin Blaze: The Mighty Quinns: Callum, unnumbered page,

     “Dad would be mad as a cut snake if he knew what you were doing,” Cal warned. “He hates Harry Fraser. All the Frasers.”

   • 2010, Stuart Gibbs, Belly Up, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, page 192,

     “ […] I know he wasn′t exactly Prince Charming, but for someone to kill him—at my very own zoo, no less—well, it makes me mad as a cut snake.”

   • 2010, Robin Easton, Naked in Eden: My Adventure and Awakening in the Australian Rainforest, page 129,

     “ […] Mad as a cut snake, he was. Good thing he didn′t have a gun. He′d a shot all three of the blokes and the snake too. Probably shot me just for laughing.”

2. (Australia, simile, colloquial) Crazy; eccentric.
   • 1986, Mike Shanley, Strela, unnumbered page,

     “Trackless,” Sean muttered, “there′s a man over there planting a chopstick.″

     “Him? That′s Lurker. Mad as a cut snake.”

   • 2000, Thomas Keneally, Bettany′s Book, page 9,

     ‘I have to tell you,’ he continued with his leaden and yet fascinating sincerity, ‘that you are a most exquisite and intelligent woman and I would like to court you. I′m no seducer or casual fornicator. It′s against my religion. If all this sounds mad as a cut snake, so be it. I was under necessity to say it. Would you accept my card?’

   • 2003, David Geary, A Man of the People, Victoria University Press, New Zealand, page 69,

     — Did you see him perform?

     — From the wings. Some Coward, a smidge of Richard the Third. Then R and J, with his missus, Vivian Leigh. Mad as a cut snake, but a wonderful actress.

   • 2010, Kate Jennings, Trouble: Evolution of a Radical, Selected Writings 1970-2010, page 70,

     What made her attractive was that she was cerebral as well as beautiful, a rare combination in movies, then as now. She was also as mad as a cut snake, which only added to her allure. In retrospect, I′d call her an el primo flake.

Synonyms

• (irate):
• (crazy): mad as a meat axe