When did bat shit become the benchmark of all things crazy?

Guano! There are diseases you can contract from bat guano that can give the appearance of insanity, like rabies.

Apparently, it came from Bats in the belfry!

I’ve heard both explanations.

might as well ask why cow’s are holy. I guess animals are great for exclaiming shock awe and craziness.

Mostly for onomatopoeic value, I imagine. Nothing particularly appealing about “OMG, that is so organic psychosis crazy!” You could try and set a trend, though. Be the cool kid.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/50/messages/1078.html

this guy in my dorm, Frank, once ate some bat shit. he went absolutely nuts. or maybe he was before. but after the bat shit incident, well, it was for sure. he was bat shit crazy.

I’ve recently started using Ape-shit crazy… don’t know why, doesn’t even sound good…

@eponymoushipster If some dude somewhere really ate bat shit, I can’t think of anything much crazier than that.

@syz Miners! That makes sense.

@The_Compassionate_Heretic exactly

@The_Compassionate_Heretic but its sooo yummy

I went to the west rim of the Grand Canyon (the Skywalk) in April. There is a cave in the canyon that they actually had set up pulleys to and had excavators go and get the guano out of the bat cave years ago. I’m guessing those guys would have had to be crazy to do that work! By the way, the guano is rich in nitrates and phosphates. Mmmmmm. It also is used in making lipstick, supposedly. And one of the guys on the tour said to his wife “Haha! You wear bat shit on your lips!” to which she answered “You kiss these lips moron!”

I don’t know, but it is a fun thing to say!

Have you ever smelled bat shit? Bat’s smell so bad anyone around bat shit must be crazy.

I don’t know anyone who says that.

I think ape shit may be as strong a contender for the run amok craziness category. And if you’ve ever seen apes throw their shit, that’s some crazy shit no doubt.

Now, ape shit I know.

The people trying to answer this question are all trying to answer why “bat shit bec[a]me the benchmark of all things crazy.” @The_Compassionate_Heretic asked when.

Focus.

@girlofscience
I understood the question and I think that there were many like myself who actually questioned the premise of the argument- batshit became the benchmark
...OK it was Thanksgiving Day 1965 over coffee in Alice’s Restaurant and the rest is history.

Could it be that bats get rabies, and act frenzied? And others might say, “I don’t want any of _that crazy bat shit,” using “shit” to mean “stuff”? Then over time, bat shit becomes established for crazy shit the same way secret squirrel stuff becomes a benchmark for a nutty level of secret stuff?

@girlofscience: I think in this case, the question also asks why. It’s not that serious.

I prefer the term “nuttier than squrrel shit” personally.