English

Alternative forms

• doolally-tap

Noun

doolally tap ‎(uncountable)

1. Camp fever; by extension, madness, eccentricity.
   • 1971, Brian Aldiss, "A Soldier Erect"

     Mrrhhhh, nothing wrong with me, sergeant, it's just the old Doolally Tap.

   • 1994, Maurice Hayes, ‎Seamus Heaney, "Sweet Killough: Let Go Your Anchor"

     'The Doolally tap,' my father would say, mysteriously, and McAllister would agree.

   • 2008, Amitav Ghosh, "Sea of Poppies"

     It would probably give Mrs Doughty an attack of the Doolally-tap.

   • 2009, Annie Murray, "A Hopscotch Summer"

     'He's got the doolally-taps,' she'd heard Bob say when they mentioned him, and he usually rolled his eyes and tapped his temple when he said it even though he didn't speak unkindly.

Adjective

doolally tap ‎(comparative more doolally tap, superlative most doolally tap)

1. (Britain) Mad, insane, eccentric.
   • 1985, John E. Gardner, The Secret Generations, page 294,

     Going a bit doolally-tap, if you ask me. Getting odd ideas.

   • 1993, Catherine Cookson, My Beloved Son, page 355,

     The whole family think I've gone doolally-tap; all except Mick, that is.

   • 1994, Julia Grant, Just Julia: The Story of an Extraordinary Woman, page 198,

     Most thought that the prison sentence had sent me doolally tap.

   • 1996, Erin Pizzey, Kisses, page 277,

     Madam has gone quite definitely doolally tap, if you'll pardon the rather common expression.

   • 2007, Martina Cole, Faces, unnumbered page,

     If he had not paid her phone bills she would have gone doolally tap, as her mother used to say, without a friendly voice now and then.

Derived terms

• doolally