screw-ball

A pitcher throws a screw-ball during a baseball game.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A person who is eccentric or odd: "screwball" refers to someone whose behavior or ideas are unconventional, often in a whimsical or slightly crazy manner.
   • A type of pitch in baseball: In sports, a "screwball" is a pitch thrown with a twisting motion that makes the ball curve in the opposite direction of a typical curveball.

2. Adjective:

   • Eccentric or whimsical: Describing something or someone as absurdly unconventional, often in a humorous or light-hearted way.

Usage Examples

• Noun (person):

  • My uncle is a bit of a screwball; he collects old typewriters and wears mismatched socks. (He is an eccentric person with unusual habits.)

• Noun (baseball):

  • The pitcher threw a screwball that baffled the batter. (A twisting pitch that curved unexpectedly.)

• Adjective:

  • The movie was a screwball comedy full of ridiculous situations and fast-paced dialogue. (A humorous film with absurd and unconventional elements.)

Advanced Usage

• "Screwball comedy": A genre of film or theater characterized by farcical situations, witty banter, and eccentric characters, popular in the 1930s and 1940s.

  • "Bringing Up Baby" is a classic screwball comedy starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. (A film with a fast-paced, absurd plot.)

• "Screwball idea": An unconventional or impractical plan.

  • His proposal to build a house out of recycled bottles was dismissed as a screwball idea. (An idea seen as eccentric and unrealistic.)

Variants and Related Words

• Screwballish (adj): somewhat eccentric or odd.
  • Her screwballish sense of humor always keeps the party lively. (Her humor is slightly unconventional.)

Synonyms

• Eccentric: unconventional and slightly strange.
• Oddball: a person whose behavior is peculiar.
• Whimsical: playfully unusual or fanciful.

Related Idioms

• A screw loose: informal expression meaning someone is slightly crazy or eccentric (often used as "to have a screw loose").

  • He must have a screw loose if he thinks that plan will work. (He is irrational or odd.)

• Screwball antics: silly or absurd behavior.

  • The children's screwball antics made everyone laugh. (Their playful, ridiculous actions.)