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Green’s Dictionary of Slang

dingbats n.

[dingbats adj.]

(Aus./N.Z.)

1. madness.

1914		Wash. Herald (DC) 1 Feb. 26/1: A feud between Jacob Bimbo anbd Jacob Inski [...] was settled today by Judge Dingbats.
1929		Townsville Daily Bull. (Qld) 10 Aug. 16/3: I got a touch of the dingbats all right and they put me in hospital.
1939		M. Morris Dark Tumult 57: ‘If I like I can be the best player in Victoria, Australia, Southern Hemisphere, The World, Amen!’ ‘You’ve got dingbats,’ said Robin.
1943		M. Trist In the Sun 29: ‘May as well take another job soon,’ he said, ‘a man would only get dingbats hanging around here too long.’.
1949		I.L. Idriess One Wet Season 27: A man goes nuts in the back country [...] battling against the everlasting bush, cattle-spearers, ‘dingbats’, and worst of all himself.

2. delirium tremens.

1918		Chronicle NZEF 27 Sept. 109/2: ’Ave you got the dingbats? [OED].
1924		G.H. Lawson Dict. of Aus. Words And Terms 🌐 DINGBATS —To be annoyed; D.T.’s.
1926		J. Devanny Butcher Shop 96: George, ’e ’ad the dingbats.
1933		(ref. to 1890–1910) L.G.D. Acland Early Canterbury Runs (1951) 374: Dingbats – Slang, of Australian origin, for delerium tremens. The ds., I believe, are really the snakes, weasels, etc., which a sufferer sees.
1933		Press (Christchurch) 14 Oct. 15/7: Dingbats. Slang, of Australian origin, for delirium tremens. The dingbats, I believe, are really the snakes, weasels, etc., which a sufferer sees .
1959		G. Slatter Gun in My Hand 42: Boozin’ again! You’ll end up with the dingbats, you will.
1970		N. Beagley Up and Down Under 64: It dawned on me when I saw him in the morning that he was verging on the DT’s or, in Aussie terms, ‘the ding bats’.
1972		B. Wannan Folklore of the Aus. Pub.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl.

In phrases

give someone the dingbats (v.)

to make someone feel nervous or (physically) uncomfortable.

1895		Hartford Herald (KY) 27 Mar. 3/6: The Boston Journal gives various theories as to the meaning of the word [dingbats] [...] One writer [whose] mother when ready to use the slipper threatened to put the ‘dingbats’ on him [...] A Connecticut pupil states that to receive punishment at the hands of a teacher is known as ‘getting the dingbats’.
1911		Truth (Wellington) 4 Nov. 6: The Taranaki horse led the big field home and paid a big dividend, which gives me dingbats every time I remember it.
1925		A. Wright Boy from Bullarah 66: It’s enough to give a fellow the dingbats. I suppose you’ve been soaking up this damned stuff till it’s sent you ratty, eh? [GAW4].
1941		F. Sargeson ‘That Summer’ in Coll. Stories (1965) 146: The way she yelled gave me the dingbats.
1943		F. Sargeson in Lehmann Penguin New Writing No. 43 71: I knew it would give me the dingbats if I just stayed on there waiting.

in the dingbats (also in the dings)

Aus. suffering from delirium tremens.

1932		Townsville Daily Bulletin 8 July 5/3: If you were shikkered or in the dingbats I’d overlook it.
1935		Morwell Advertiser (Vic.) 25 Apr. 6/3: ‘Spare me days,’ quoth William, ‘a bloke must be in the “dings”!’.