See Also: screwball(dictionary)
screwball(dictionary)
screwball comedy(dictionary)

screwball (iou)



screwball noun, adjective, & verb. Chiefly N. Amer. M19.
[from SCREW noun1 + BALL noun1. Cf. oddball s.v. ODD adjective.]
A. noun.
Orig. in Cricket, a ball bowled with spin. Now in Baseball, a ball pitched with reverse spin against the natural curve. M19.
An eccentric or mad person. slang. M20.
J. Steinbeck Whether brilliant or a screwball nobody ever knew.
Jazz. Fast improvisation, unrestrained swing. slang. M20.
b. adjective. Eccentric, mad; spec. designating or pertaining to a style of zany fast-moving comedy film involving eccentric characters or ridiculous situations. slang. M20.
Time Screwball fantasy about a..quarterback..who dies and comes back to life as an eccentric millionaire.
C. verb intrans. Pitch a screwball in baseball; travel like a screwball. rare. M20.