Also spooney. [f. SPOON sb. 7, 8, or v. 6, 7.]
1. a. Of persons, etc.: Foolish, soft, silly.
1812. J. H. Vaux, Flash Dict., Spoony, foolish, half-witted, nonsensical.
1813. Col. Hawker, Diary (1893), I. 68. We had some prime slang on the road and, of course, blew up every spoony fellow we could meet.
1835. G. P. R. James, Gipsy, xiv. I was spooney enough to let him get off.
1874. Mod. Christianity, 60. Then you think that Priests are bound to be mild and spoony?
Comb. 1812. J. H. Vaux, Flash Dict., s.v., A man who has been drinking till he becomes disgusting … is said to be spoony drunk.
1841. Lever, C. O’Malley, lxxxviii. ‘Very singular style of person’—lisped a spooney-looking cornet.
b. Of things: Characterized by foolishness or silliness.
1843. E. FitzGerald, Lett. (1889), I. 115. I am really at last going to settle in some spooney quarters in the country.
1846. Thackeray, Crit. Rev., Wks. 1886, XXIII. 236. That picture is more decidedly spoony than, perhaps, any other of this present season. Ibid. (1850), Pendennis, xiii. They [letters] are too spooney and mild.
2. Sentimentally or foolishly amorous.
1836. Marryat, Midsh. Easy, xxii. I never was in love myself, but I’ve seen many others spooney.
1859. Lever, D. Dunn, lxvi. The man who is not actually in love with you, but only ‘spooney.’
1882. Mrs. B. M. Croker, Proper Pride, I. iii. 52. They are not a bit a spooney couple; at least I never see any billing or cooing.
b. Const. on or upon.
1828. Sporting Mag., XXII. 23. I must confess, I felt rather spoony upon that vixen.
1861. Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxf., vi. Blake got spooney on a gipsy girl.
1891. Nat. Gould, Double Event, 60. Marston’s awfully spoony on Kingdon’s lass.
c. Expressive of sentimental fondness.
1882. Mrs. B. M. Croker, Proper Pride, I. v. 85. Not a spooney, love-lorn effusion, but a good, rational, amusing letter.
1884. Grace Denio Litchfield, in Cent. Mag., Dec., 191/2. The little sighs I sigh, and all the spooney ways and looks I can’t help treating them to.
Hence Spoonyship. nonce-word.
1838. New Monthly Mag., LIII. 453. To be thrown over … is such evidence of spooneyship as a man of sense or spirit can never willingly submit to.
