PhrasesHub

Lose your marbles

    Definitions

      • lose mental faculties
        To indicate that someone has lost their ability to think or reason clearly, often due to old age or mental illness

      • go crazy
        To describe someone who is acting irrationally or illogically, as if they have lost their mind

    Examples of Lose your marbles

    • After hours of arguing with his boss, John slammed his hands on the desk and exclaimed, "I've had enough! You can keep your job, I'm losing my marbles and leaving!"

      In this example, "losing your marbles" is used as an expression for losing one's temper or composure, indicating that John is feeling overwhelmed and is at the end of his patience.

    • During the chaotic scene at the amusement park, the teenager next to you dropped her ice cream and started screaming, "I've lost my marbles! I've lost my marbles!"

      Here, "losing your marbles" is used to describe a situation where someone is losing control and is becoming increasingly panicked or disoriented.

    • The elderly woman shuffled through the busy street, muttering to herself, "Where did I put my marbles? I've lost them again..."

      In this situation, "losing your marbles" is used to describe forgetfulness or confusion in an elderly person, as if they have misplaced small objects like marbles.

    • The team captain stormed off the pitch, kicking his boots in frustration, "I've had enough! I've lost my marbles today!"

      Here, "losing your marbles" is used in a sports context, where the captain has become so angry or frustrated that he feels he is losing his mental faculties or composure.

    • The CEO completely lost his marbles during the board meeting when he learned that his company's profits had plummeted.

      This idiom is used to describe someone who becomes utterly insane or loses their composure in a situation. It suggests that the person has lost something valuable, in this case, their mental stability, represented by the marbles.

    • She was so overwhelmed by thetask at hand that she felt like she was losing her marbles.

      The phrase is sometimes used figuratively to suggest that someone is struggling or feeling extremely stressed. It could imply that the person feels like they're on the verge of losing their mental faculties due to the task's overwhelming nature.

    • He's been acting pretty crazy lately, and some people say he's already lost his marbles.

      This idiom can also be used to refer to someone who is behaving erratically and unpredictably. The phrase "already lost his marbles" implies that the person has been exhibiting increasingly bizarre behavior and has perhaps reached a state of insanity.

    • I'm feeling so flustered right now that I'm about to lose my marbles.

      This idiom often appears in everyday conversation, where people use it casually to convey their heightened emotions or feelings of confusion and agitation. Here it implies that the speaker is feeling overwhelmed and anxious, to the point of losing their mental clarity.


    Conclusion

    The idiom "lose your marbles" is used to convey the idea that someone has lost their mental faculties or is behaving in a crazy or irrational manner. It can be used in a lighthearted or humorous way to tease someone who is acting unusually, or in a more serious context to describe someone who is experiencing mental health issues.

    Origin of "Lose your marbles"

    The origin of the idiom "lose your marbles" dates back to the early 20th century, when the game of marbles was a popular pastime for children. Marbles were small, spherical objects used in a variety of games, and losing them meant being unable to play or losing a valuable possession. Over time, the term "losing your marbles" became associated with losing one's mental faculties, drawing a parallel between the loss of marbles and the loss of sanity. The idiom has since become a widely recognized expression for describing someone who is not thinking clearly or behaving irrationally.