This isn't just a spelling question, is it Patrick?
[Spoken form of Deolali (Marashtra, India) + TAP n.4]
In full doolally tap. Characterized by an unbalanced state of mind.
1925 FRASER & GIBBONS Soldier & Sailor Words 75 Deolali tap (otherwise
doolally tap), mad, off one's head. Old Army. 1936 J. CURTIS Gilt Kid vii.
76 What's the matter with that bloke? Doolally? Ibid. xviii. 181 'What's up
with you for Christ's sake, kid? Come doolally tap?' Scaley was getting
worried... His pal seemed to have gone mad. 1936 F. RICHARDS Old-Soldier
Sahib iv. 74 Time-expired men sent to Deolalie from their different units
might have to wait for months before a troop-ship fetched them home... The
well-known saying among soldiers when speaking of a man who does queer
things, 'Oh, he's got the Doo-lally tap,' originated, I think, in the
peculiar way men behaved owing to the boredom of that camp. 1943 HUNT &
PRINGLE Service Slang 28 Doolally, very drunk or temporarily insane, without
distinction.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Poetryetc provides a venue for a dialogue relating to
> poetry and poetics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf Of Patrick McManus
> Sent: 15 December 2005 18:39
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: help!-----lost word
>
> Deborah thanks for trying comes close not in OED perhaps
> slang perhaps the doormouse would know P dullally P
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Poetryetc provides a venue for a dialogue relating to
> poetry and poetics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf Of deborah russell
> Sent: 15 December 2005 18:01
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: help!-----lost word
>
> Would that be duh-Lilly, as in John C. Lilly?
>
> >All you worsmitheys
> >
> >Isn't there a word for decrepit dotage senile -sounding
> like' dilally'
> >
> >For my autobiography:-)
> >
> >
> >
> >P desperate P
>
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