not (quite) right in the head

not (quite) right in the head

Mentally unwell or unstable. The term can be used both literally and hyperbolically. Tim has been behaving very erratically lately—I'm afraid that accident has left him not quite right in the head. Liz isn't right in the head if she thinks that plan will work!

See also: head, not, right

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

not right in the head

Mentally unsound, as in Physically, she's quite healthy for ninety, but we suspect she's not right in the head . This usage was first recorded as right in his wits in 1662.

See also: head, not, right

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.

not right in the head

SPOKEN, OFFENSIVE

If someone is not right in the head, they are mentally ill. According to Great-aunt Louise, the grandmother wasn't quite right in the head.

See also: head, not, right

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012