Lewis Carroll did not actually coin the phrase 'mad as a hatter'
In short: While the Mad Hatter is a staple of literary history, the phrase used to describe him predates his famous works. This video explores the true origins of the idiom, debunking the common belief that it was invented for Alice in Wonderland.
Despite its deep association with Charles Dodgson’s 1865 novel, Alice in Wonderland, the phrase "mad as a hatter" was not created by Carroll. While the Hatter is described as "mad" and hosts a chaotic tea party, the specific title "Mad Hatter" never appears in the text, nor does the comparative phrase.
The video investigates the linguistic history of the expression to determine where it originated before it became a cultural shorthand for eccentricity.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Why are Crazy People Called Mad as a Hatter?
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