Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (orig. US, also screwbox) an eccentric, an out-of-the-ordinary person.

1939		P. Di Donato Christ in Concrete 235: Goddamn-damn sonofabastarddd I said brick on the hoist – not tile! Brick you dago screwball!
1941		N. Davis ‘Don’t Give Your Right Name’ in Goulart (1967) 10: Screwball is having one of his fits again.
1947		R.O. Boyer Dark Ship 153: Eccentrics are usually called ‘screwboxes’.
1950		‘Hal Ellson’ Tomboy (1952) 133: Roller skates. Do you think we came for that, screwball?
1960		Wodehouse Jeeves in the Offing 36: Your aunt thinks he’s a screwball.
1975		L. Rosten Dear ‘Herm’ 4: I am getting sick-and-tired of being woke up at 11 P.M.! [...] by screw-balls demanding to know if I am Leo Rosten.
1978		P. Theroux Picture Palace 66: I had never been so close to such loud strangers – screwballs, swill-pails, fancy signs.
1981		J. Bradner Danny Boy 75: Oscar didn’t want Danny to end up a ‘screw-ball’.
1990		R. Campbell Sweet La-La Land (1999) 181: Witchcraft ain’t illegal. Just a lot of screwballs jumping bare-assed over swords and fire, kissing the master’s bunghole.
2000		Guardian 14 Jan. 8: The series portrays Hadfield as if it were populated by every screwball under the sun.
2017		Guardian 21 Jan. 🌐 Some screwball no-mark in some pointless department.
2020		(con. 1991-94) W. Boyle City of Margins 46: ‘You’re such a screwball’.

2. nonsense.

1956

E. Pound (trans.) Sophocles’ Women of Trachis 20: Just talk, a mere rumour [...] No use bothering with this screw-ball.