dotty meaning (colloquial): definition, etymology and quotations

dotty

adj

CA, US /ˈdɑ.ti/ · /ˈdɒti/

Etymology See dote, or compare totty (“unsteady, dizzy”).

Australia, UK, Colloquial Mildly insane or eccentric; often, senile.

My nan has got dottier and dottier since passing the age of eighty.
Knockers in this part of the world seem intended for ornament only, — nobody seems to pay any attention to them when they’re used. The old lady upstairs must be either deaf or dotty.1897, Richard Marsh, The Beetle:

3 more examples

"Good God! I don't want another accident here. I should go dotty if I had to face all that again."1950, Norman Lindsay, Dust or Polish?, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 152:
Mr. Fox stopped digging and stared at Badger as though he had gone completely dotty. "My dear old furry frump," he said, "do you know anyone in the whole world who wouldn't swipe a few chickens if their children were starving to death?"1970, Roald Dahl, Fantastic Mr. Fox, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, page 45:
JILL: Horses? ... You're really dotty, aren't you? ... What do you mean?1973, Peter Shaffer, “Act II, Scene 32”, in Equus, page 99:

UK, Dated Having an unsteady gait.

noun

Etymology From dot + -y.

Never bummy but I'm scummy fam, I used to burgle houses Then some OGs was consignin me them ounces Wet man round me had me feeling like I’m drownin Fam we really went there with a brownin Me and next man really went there with a dotty 05 murder squad nicked me for a [censored]2013, “Mad Years”, in Potter Payper (lyrics), Training Day, performed by Potter Payper:
They dont know what I’ve been through Red dot on his head like a hindu Scrams, Face just stack for the Wesson Ca’ be the gunplay that we’re into It’s like them man chill with the singer Two dot dots there in the dinger Yard man’s got a dotty in the rave But he’s still tryna do the La Linga We’ve had guns and shanks without awareness We’ve had guns and shanks we’re so fearless2017, “Mad About Bars”, TMula (lyrics), performed by 86 (TMula x Scrams):

2 more examples

Bro I’m booky, I’ll take your food if my belly starts rumblin They rap about bootings, they ain’t blammed nobody Hold that properly when I bang that dotty I put sniff in a rex, and I slang that bobby2017, “Next Up?”, Digga D (lyrics), performed by 1011 (Digga D x Sav'O x T.Y):
I’m out here from the night till dawn The dotty’s out but I like it sawn2020, “Respawn”, Cillian (lyrics), chorus:

adj

Etymology From dot + -y.

Having many dots.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.