My mind was saying, “Crazy as an old coot”; then I wondered what was a coot, so visited Google. FYI, a coot exists and is pictured above. It is a “plump, chickenlike bird with a rounded head and a sloping bill. Their tiny tail, short wings, and large feet are visible on the rare occasions they take flight. Where and when did the elderly become coots?” A crochety person, especially one who is old (a strange and usually old man–(“Don’t mind him—he’s just a crazy old coot.”) that you think is strange or unpleasant– a miserable mean old coot .First used in the 1700’s to refer to a harmless simple person. ‘A coot’ is a bird that bobs its head as it walks and swims, similar to an elderly person. It also means, a person who is foolish/eccentric/stupid. In modern times, it is sometimes used in an affectionate way towards elderly men.. The American coot (Fulica americana) is particularly well known in North America.

Additionally, “coot” has also evolved into slang usage in English, where it can refer to an eccentric or silly person, particularly an old man. This usage likely stems from the perceived odd behavior of the bird itself. First published use of the word as cooties, with the meaning of lice which prey on humans

The term became common in America for headlice amongst children. This is the meaning in all American literature. This sole use lasted from 1920s until the 1980s.

Unproved reasons, which may involve high levels of bullying …

… (more) “Coot” is also an old Dutch word for waterfowl which dates back to about 1300. So why are coots lumped in with dotty old humans? And why was I thinking about this at all?

I don’t remember…Smile…

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