What it means
Means you’ve lost the plot, gone a bit mad, or you’re acting wildly unreasonable or overexcited. It’s usually said as a teasing laugh when someone’s chatting absolute nonsense, but it can land as a proper put-down if you say it sharp. Handy for describing chaos in human form, from daft schemes to full-on melt-down energy.
Usage examples
"He reckons he’ll rebuild his mate’s Corsa with duct tape and a TikTok tutorial. Nah, he’s off his trolley, get him a cuppa and hide the spanners."
"He is off his trolley if he thinks I am driving four hours just to return a jumper that almost fits."
"The prices in that place are off their trolley, ten quid for a coffee and a tiny biscuit."
"You’re off your trolley if you think we’re paying eighty quid for brunch and calling it a bargain."
"Mum said Uncle Dave’s gone off his trolley again and bought a hot tub off Facebook Marketplace at midnight."
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Where it comes from
It comes from tram hardware in Britain. The trolley was the bit that kept contact with the overhead wire. If it came off, the tram lost power or stopped working properly. From there, people started using it for someone who'd gone a bit haywire, was talking rubbish, or behaving wildly out of sync.
Other ways to say it
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