einen Vogel haben
to be crazy; to have a screw loose
Origin
Goes back to an old folk belief that small animals such as birds had nested in the heads of the mentally disturbed (cf. 'Bei dir piept's wohl!'). The medical historian Johann Werfring alternatively traces it to the term 'Vogelköpfe' (bird-heads) for microcephalic people.
Building blocks
Words in this expression
Grammar that uses this word
- Irregular verbs: e → ie (sehen, lesen)Unregelmäßige Verben: e → ie (sehen, lesen)
- Local preposition 'über' (above, Wo?/where? + dative)Lokale Präposition 'über' (Wo? + Dativ)
- Local preposition 'auf' (onto, Wohin?/where to? + accusative)Lokale Präposition 'auf' (Wohin? + Akkusativ)
- Local preposition 'über' (over/above, Wohin?/where to? + accusative)Lokale Präposition 'über' (Wohin? + Akkusativ)
Examples
Du willst bei dem ? Du hast einen !
You want to go sailing in this storm? You must have a screw loose!