GOING BANANAS Meaning and
Definition
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Going bananas is an idiomatic expression used to describe a state of extreme excitement, agitation, or irrational behavior. The phrase originates from the behavior of monkeys, who are known to become hyperactive and restless when consuming bananas, their favorite fruit. Metaphorically, going bananas refers to a person's intense emotions or actions that resemble the frenzied behavior of these animals.
When someone is said to be going bananas, it implies that they have lost control over their emotions, often in a positive and enthusiastic manner. It can indicate a high level of excitement, joy, or anticipation about something. For instance, if a person wins a lottery, they might go bananas with glee and start jumping and screaming in ecstasy. Similarly, during a lively concert or sporting event, the enthusiastic crowd might go bananas, endorsing the electrifying atmosphere.
However, going bananas can also describe negative behavior. In this context, it typically refers to extreme anger, frustration, or irritation. For example, imagine a person getting stuck in a traffic jam on their way to an important meeting. As minutes turn into hours, their anger might build up, causing them to go bananas, shouting and pounding the steering wheel in frustration.
Overall, going bananas captures the essence of being overcome by strong emotions, be they positive or negative, often to the point of losing control or behaving irrationally.
Common Misspellings for GOING BANANAS
- foing bananas
- voing bananas
- boing bananas
- hoing bananas
- yoing bananas
- toing bananas
- giing bananas
- gking bananas
- gling bananas
- gping bananas
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- goung bananas
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- goimg bananas
Etymology of GOING BANANAS
The phrase "going bananas" is an idiomatic expression used to describe someone who is behaving in a wild, crazy, or irrational manner.
The term "bananas" is derived from the name of the fruit itself. The etymology of the word "banana" can be traced back to the Wolof language, spoken in West Africa. The Wolof word for banana is "banaana", which was borrowed and modified into various languages including Spanish, Portuguese, and English.
The phrase "going bananas" likely originated in the mid-20th century, and it is believed to have emerged from the association of bananas with monkeys. Monkeys are known to be particularly fond of bananas and can get very excited when they see or are given this fruit. As a result, the phrase "going bananas" came to be used metaphorically to describe human behavior that is similarly energetic, chaotic, or out of control.
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