ape adj.
1. (US campus, also aped) drunk.
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | ‘College Sl. Words And Phrases’ in DN IV:iii 231: aped, adj. Drunk. ‘He’s aped again’. | |
| Campus Sl. Oct. 1: ape – very drunk. |
2. a generic term meaning aggressive and dangerous.
| (con. 1920s) Judgement Day in Studs Lonigan (1936) 656: We’re not the ape kind. | |
| in Current Sl. (1967) I:4 3/1: Ape, adj. Wild or over-excited. |
3. (also ape wild, apey) mad, crazy.
| Troubling of a Star 192: He always went slightly apey when he drank. | |
| Rally Round the Flag, Boys! (1959) 46: ‘You stone me,’ she said fondly. ‘I mean you drive me ape.’. | |
| In the Life 12: Ape, you know: for the nut wagon, psycho, mishuga. | |
| Campus Sl. Mar. 1: ape wild – uninhibited [...] Let‘s go get some beer and go ape wild. | |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Eve. Standard Mag. 4 June 1: You see? This is exactly why. April showers. Apey. Ape. It puts men off. |
In compounds
see separate entries.
In phrases
(orig. US) to lose control, esp. of one’s temper.
| Akron Beacon Jrnl (OH) 10 Dec. 53/5: G.I. Dictionary, Korean Campaign. ‘He’s gone ape’ means he’s blown his top. | |
| Last Exit to Brooklyn (1966) 60: Somebody would sneak up behind him [...] and take his hat off and toss it around and Spookd go ape tryin ta get it back. | |
| Carlito’s Way 51: The Mapp case came down — all the cons went ape. | |
| Auf Wiedersehen Pet Two 327: Then he went ape. | |
| Rent Boy 67: Straight people [...] who go ape over any type of drag number. | |
| Indep. on Sun. Rev. 2 Apr. 61: Daddy went ape. Rang up, shouting. |
to be obsessed with.
 | Hardy Boys 21: The Clue of the Broken Blade n.p.: She’s very beautiful but we’re not going to go ape over her. | |
| Infinity Science Fiction I 41: Cinerama works, but not very well. Live stuff is what they really go ape for. | |
| Affairs of Gidget 38: He’s only going ape over one, Lolita. But you’re trying to get all of ’em. | |
| Guardian 4 Aug. 🌐 Wahlberg goes ape over Helena [headline]. | |
| Guardian 16 Aug. 🌐 First, Helena Bonham Carter (‘Fans go ape for Helen’). |