Bonkers conspiracy theory

[GoodTaste]

Does American English use "bonkers" in news reports? My dictionary points out that "bonkers" is an informal slang chiefly used in Great Britain meaning mad, crazy.bon•kers /ˈbɑŋkɚz/ adj. [be/go + ~] Slang.Slang Termssilly;mad;crazy:He's completely bonkers over her.

 

[GoesStation]

It's a slangy pejorative adjective that doesn't belong in news reports except for quoted speech. It can certainly appear in opinion pieces. It doesn't sound particularly British to me.

 

[emsr2d2]

It's very British - a little outdated, maybe, but definitely British. I still use it. However, I wouldn't use it to refer to a person (we're very careful now about the language we use around mental health). I would use it to refer to an idea or a situation.

 

[GoesStation]

It's very British - a little outdated, maybe, but definitely British.

I meant it doesn't sound specifically British to me.

 

[bubbha]

Americans use it too. The word is not fit for use in formal journalism (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, etc.), but I can definitely see it being used in more casual and informal styles of journalism.

 

[Tdol]

That is the same in the UK- you'll find it in the more excitable press.