haywire

haywire
haywire (n.) "soft wire for binding bales of hay," by 1891, from HAY (Cf. hay) + WIRE (Cf. wire) (n.). Adjective meaning "poorly equipped, makeshift" is 1905, American English, from the sense of something only held together with haywire, particularly said to be from use of the stuff in New England lumber camps for jerry-rigging and makeshift purposes, so that hay wire outfit became the "contemptuous term for loggers with poor logging equipment" [Bryant, "Logging," 1913]. Its springy, uncontrollable quality led to the sense in go haywire (by 1915).

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • haywire — ☆ haywire or go haywire [hā′wīr΄ ] n. wire for tying up bales of hay, straw, etc. adj. [prob. < haywire outfit, loggers term for a camp with poor equipment that had to be held together with haywire] Informal 1. out of order; disorganized;… …   English World dictionary

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  • haywire — hay·wire (hā’wīr′) n. ▸ Wire used in baling hay. adj. Informal 1) Not functioning or happening in a proper or orderly fashion: »machinery that went haywire; an experiment that went haywire. 2) Mentally confused or erratic; crazy: »The traveler… …   Word Histories

  • haywire — /hay wuyeur /, n. 1. wire used to bind bales of hay. adj. Informal. 2. in disorder: The town is haywire because of the bus strike. 3. out of control; disordered; crazy: The car went haywire. He s been haywire since he got the bad news. [1900 05;… …   Universalium

  • haywire — [“hewair] 1. mod. out of order. (Folksy.) □ This telephone has gone haywire. □ My stereo is haywire, so I’ve been listening to the radio. 2. mod. disoriented. (Often from marijuana.) □ Wally is sort of hay wire from the grass …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • haywire — adverb or adjective Etymology: from the use of baling wire for makeshift repairs Date: 1929 1. being out of order or having gone wrong < the radio went haywire > 2. emotionally or mentally upset or out of control ; crazy < is going haywire with… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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