a kangaroo loose in the top paddock
An indication of craziness, eccentricity, or foolishness. Primarily heard in Australia. Tommy must have a kangaroo loose in the top paddock if he thinks he can convince our mother to let him get a tattoo for his birthday. There's an old lady who stands on the corner yelling at strangers all day. I think there might be a kangaroo loose in the top paddock, if you catch my drift. He says he's going to start a business selling bees as pets—I think he may have a kangaroo loose in the top paddock.
have a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock
To be crazy; to act, think, or behave in an eccentric, foolish, or nonsensical manner. Primarily heard in Australia. Tommy must have a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock if he thinks he can convince our mother to let him get a tattoo for his birthday. There's an old lady who stands on the corner yelling at strangers all day. I think she might have a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock. He says he's going to start a business selling bees as pets. I think he has a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock.
have kangaroos in (one's)/the top paddock
To act, think, or behave in an eccentric, foolish, or nonsensical manner; to be insane. Primarily heard in Australia. Tommy must have kangaroos in the top paddock if he thinks he can convince Mom to let him get a tattoo for his birthday. There's an old lady who stands on the corner yelling at strangers all day. I think she might have kangaroos in her top paddock. He says he's going to start a business selling bees as pets—I think he may have kangaroos in the top paddock.
kangaroo court
An unofficial court or a court that disregards current laws and conducts unfair trials. People who live under oppressive regimes are often treated harshly by corrupt kangaroo courts that don't abide by the law.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
kangaroo court
a bogus or illegal court. Is this a staff meeting or a kangaroo court? You have turned this interview into a kangaroo court.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
kangaroo court
A self-appointed tribunal that violates established legal procedure; also, a dishonest or incompetent court of law. For example, The rebels set up a kangaroo court and condemned the prisoners to summary execution, or That judge runs a kangaroo court-he tells rape victims they should have been more careful . This expression is thought to liken the jumping ability of kangaroos to a court that jumps to conclusions on an invalid basis. [Mid-1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
a kangaroo court
A kangaroo court is a court that is created quickly and is not official, and often not fair. All kinds of strange people appeared to testify in the kangaroo court which the newspapers had set up. I've been shot at, beaten up my military police, and sentenced to life imprisonment by a kangaroo court.
have kangaroos in your top paddock
or have kangaroos in the top paddock
AUSTRALIAN, INFORMALIf you say that someone
has kangaroos in their
top paddock or
has kangaroos in the top paddock, you mean that they have strange ideas or are crazy.
Some people think I must have a few kangaroos in the top paddock. Note:
Roos can be used instead of
kangaroos.
A guy who pretends to understand women has got roos in his top paddock. Compare with
have bats in the belfry. Note: A paddock is a small field next to a farm or stable. The idea is of having wild animals there instead of farm animals.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
have kangaroos in the (or your) top paddock
be mad or eccentric. Australian informal 1985 Peter Carey Illywacker ‘And he was a big man too, and possibly slow-witted.’ ‘Leichhardt?’ ‘No, Bourke…He had kangaroos in his top paddock.’
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017