bananas, adj. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

bananas adj.

[? one’s mind or sexuality is ‘bent out of shape’]

1. homosexual.

1933		Ersine Und. and Prison Sl. 15: bananas, adj. Homosexual, queer.
1935		A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks n.p.: He’s bananas, he’s sexually perverted; a degenerate.
1965		Guild Dict. Homosexual Terms 3: bananas, to be (v.): To be homosexual. (Criminal slang.).

2. of a person, crazy, eccentric.

1957		S.F. News 30 Mar. 11: They say you’re bananas!!
1968		Current Sl. II:4 3: Bananas, adj. Fake, phony.
1986		S. King It (1987) 332: You better call your house [...] So your f-folks don’t go b-b-bananas.
1990		S. Morgan Homeboy 209: You’re fuckin bananas.
2001		M. Coles Bible in Cockney 101: Jesus goes bananas in the Temple.

3. of an object, crazy, unbelievable.

1997–2001		Online Sl. Dict. 🌐 bananas adj 1. unbelievable; RIDICULOUS, CRAZY. (‘That Chris Tucker movie was bananas.’).
2010		L. Berney Gutshot Straight [ebook] ‘This room is bananas,’ she said. ‘Nicest place I’ve never been drugged and robbed in,’ Shake said.
2012		‘Dutch’ ? (Pronounced Que) [ebook] The party was bananas. It was filled with young black gangsterzs who [...] were just beginning to taste the good life.
2022		J. Hannaham Didn’t Nobody Give a Shit 131: Everything them reentry case-manager bitches told me at them info sessions was completely bananas.

drive bananas (v.)

(orig. US) to drive mad, to infuriate.

1975		L. Rosten Dear ‘Herm’ 172: Being so helpful to the Klitchers about many various questions, I have one that is driving me bananas!
1977		J. Sayles Union Dues (1978) 149: With the kids it’s guns and revolutions, not shacking up and driving your old man bananas.
1979		F. Norman Too Many Crooks Spoil the Caper 159: This dump is driving me bananas.
1999		Guardian Rev. 23 July 6: That’s when you long for people who otherwise drive you bananas.

flip one’s banana (v.) (also flip one’s raspberry) [SE flip; note flip v.⁴ (2)]

(US) to go suddenly insane, to lose control of one’s emotions.

1980		A. Pearl Dict. of Popular Sl. 51: – Flip one’s raspberry to lose one’s temper.
2003		H. Montes ‘Odious de Cologne’ 🌐 Mojo Jojo – ‘Aaahhh, refreshing, like a soothing after shave. Not that I ever needed to shave.’ Blossom – ‘Have you flipped your banana Mojo?’.

go bananas (v.) (orig. US)

1. to lose emotional control [image of an over-ripe banana that ‘goes soft’].

1964		Paradise of the Pacific 76 90: Here are five other possibilities [...] designed to keep you from going bananas, except, of course, culinarily.
1966		S.F. News 2 Sept. 30: I n-never knew goin’ bananas was contagious!!
1972		E. Grogan Ringolevio 227: He went bananas [...] because of some severe strain.
1987		T. Wolfe Bonfire of the Vanities 215: They got three homicide witnesses over here chained to the fucking desk legs in the Detective Bureau, and they’re going bananas.
1992		K. Lette Llama Parlour 222: When he can’t find it he, like, goes bananas.
1992		M. Coleman Fatty 90: That sort of stuff never really got to me, I never needed any special psych-up but Boydy and some of the guys in the team would go bananas.
2005		B. Hare Urban Grimshaw 63: Greta went bananas.
2010		K. Barry ‘Fjord of Killary’ in New Yorker 24 Jan. 🌐 ‘Oysters for a starter . . . They have me gone fuckin’ bananas!’.
2017		Observer (London) New Rev. 19 Feb. 7/2: He only did ‘Shut Up,’ but the crowd went bananas.
2017		A. Parks Bloody January 153: You saw Murray going bananas, all it took was one phone call.

2. to delight in something absolutely; usu. as go bananas over.

1975		G. Underwood ‘Razorback Sl.’ in AS L:1/2 56: bananas, go v phr [...] 2: Enthusiastically approve of or find pleasure in something.
1999		Guardian Guide 31 July–6 Aug. 40: Go bananas at Ape’s birthday party.