My Word: Having a screw loose

By Laurie Barber
Updated March 8 2018 - 3:24pm, first published 2:59pm
Trying to crack a hidden meaning
Trying to crack a hidden meaning

As early as 1834, the expression loose screw was used to illustrate a flaw in state affairs. In Martin Chuzzlewit, Charles Dickens wrote “I see well enough there’s a screw loose in your affairs”.

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