midsummer madness
Preserved but no longer current.
Olivia says to Mal- volio, "Why, this is very midsummer madness" (Twelfth Night, m, 4). The reference is to the rabies of dogs, which was supposed to be brought on by midsummer heat. People who were a bit inclined to be mad used to be said to have but a mile to midsummer.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “midsummer madness” mean?
Olivia says to Mal- volio, "Why, this is very midsummer madness" (Twelfth Night, m, 4). The reference is to the rabies of dogs, which was supposed to be brought on by midsummer heat. People who were a bit inclined to be mad used to be said to have but a mile to midsummer.
Is “midsummer madness” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.