gale – A very strong wind, probably related to Old Norse galinn, “frantic, mad.” More…
mad as a hatter – Refers to the fact that hat makers suffered mental illness in the old days when they got mercury poisoning from treating fur. More…
madding – In “far from the madding crowd,” madding is a poetic survival meaning “wild, furious, raving, mad.” More…
rabid, rabies – Rabid and rabies come from Latin rabere, “be mad.” More…