(See also ECCENTRICITY.)

ding-a-ling A person who repeatedly makes silly mistakes or foolish and inappropriate remarks; one whose behavior is unconventional or eccentric. A ding-a-ling is literally one who behaves as if he hears bells in his head. The implication is that a head full of ringing bells must be devoid of brains and sense. A newer and equivalent American slang term is dingbat.

full of beans Uninformed, ignorant, stupid; silly, empty-headed. This use of full of beans may have derived from an indirect reference to a bean’s small value. Thus, to be “full of beans” is to be full of insignificance and inanity.

have windmills in one’s head To be full of dreamlike illusions; to live in a fool’s paradise. This obsolete expression implies the circulation of fanciful ideas in the vacuity of a daft mind.

See tilt at windmills, ILLUSION.

in the ozone In a daze, in another world; spacey, spaced-out. The ozone layer or ozonosphere is a region in the upper atmosphere characterized by a high concentration of ozone and a relatively high temperature due to the assimilation of ultraviolet solar radiation. Hence, in the ozone is equivalent to out in space. This American slang expression appears to be of very recent coinage.

not have all one’s buttons To be whimsical, odd, or crazy; to be out of it or not all there. In the 19th century, this expression was used to describe unintelligent, irrational behavior. It is now considered a slang phrase which emphasizes the eccentric, idiosyncratic aspects of behavior rather than characteristics indicative of stupidity or dullness.

slaphappy Severely confused or befuddled; cheerfully irresponsible; giddy; happy or elated, as if dazed. This term alludes to the apparent exhilaration which sometimes accompanies a concussion caused by a series of blows to the head, such as might be inflicted in a boxing match.

A related expression which, like slap-happy, employs an internal rhyme is punch-drunk. A variation is punchy.