Drive sb. cuckoo

[albatross521]

Happened upon this phrase in NZ Herald.

Bird driving staff cuckoo

Staff at Child, Youth and Family's Manurewa office in South Auckland are being driven cuckoo by a rather shameless bird.


Does it mean "drive sb. crazy"?

[jno]

yes; cuckoo is one of many words meaning mad (not just in Manurewa, either). Cuckoos may lay eggs in other birds' nests. So a cuckoo in the nest is someone who stands out from the rest, or seems eccentric or mad.

[jno]

... incidentally, I believe the 'other birds' are reed warblers, not albatrosses, you'lll be relieved to hear.

[albatross521]

haha,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Albatross is the largest bird,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Grunty]

and being the largest bird, fortunately they don't fly over my car.

[albatross521]

haha ,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Fortunately they live off the cliffs and feed on sea fishes.