English Explanatory Dictionary

lunatic fringe

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The members of a political or social group espousing extreme, fanatical, or irrational views.

Word forms

lunatic fringe lunatic fringes

Etymology

Originally a derogatory term for a female hairstyle (bangs) in which the hair is cut straight across the forehead, likened to institutional haircuts found in "lunatic" asylums. The figurative sense was popularized by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, originally in reference to Cubist and Futurist art.

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