How did the expression 'madcap' come about, as in the 'madcap adventures of John Doe?'

BRY2K

"Madcap" today is usually used as an adjective, it was originally, when it first appeared in the 16th century, a noun meaning "a madman, a maniac." The "mad" element is straightforward, simply meaning "insane," a usage more common in the UK than the US, where we are more likely to use "mad" to mean "angry." The "cap" part might be thought a reference to the unusual headgear often worn by the deranged (foil-lined pith helmets, Mets caps, etc.), but it is actually a very old (and now obsolete in any other use) sense meaning "head." So a "madcap" was originally a "mad-head," a person with bats in the belfry. Read more here: http://www.word-detective.com/102805.html Sep 06 09, 12:28 PM