A hair Brained Idea / Scheme

[mylo74]

Peeps, has any one any idea where this saying originated? bit of a debate going on here in the office need to know so I can win the starbucks!!! cheers all....

[Quizmonster]

Originating in the 1500s, it started as hare-brained, though hair-brained was also sometimes later used. The idea is that hares are taken to be especially nutty, as we see in that other saying: 'Mad as a March hare'.

[woofgang]

QM, does the "hair brained" version have any thing to do with the ? regency expression for a silly woman "one who has more hair than wit"

[Quizmonster]

Actually, W, I think it was just a spelling "mistake", if indeed we can so call it. As such, though, at least it has a venerable history, being almost as old as the 'hare' version. There is also the fact that spelling was not as set-in-stone in the 1500s as it now is, so 'hair' was probably quite acceptable to many as the spelling for the rabbit-like animal.