Why do we say that?

Researching the origins of words and phrases fascinates me. Do you know where the phrase Lunatic Fringe came from?

I’ll give you a hint: It has nothing to do with fringed bang hairstyle, as this silly essay attempts to explain.

Luna

Gone are the days of locking people up in lunatic asylums (although proper mental health services are sadly lacking in the US), but the mind and the way it works, and why things go wrong, are still being studied. There’s a lot we don’t know.

Long ago, insanity was thought to be due to the influence of the moon. Romans considered Luna as goddess of the moon, and credited Luna with enormous power. Her mood changes, also known as the phases of the moon, were believed to be responsible for many mental conditions or strange behavior.

Wobbling…

Attributed to the influence of Luna for centuries, any significant deviation from normal reasoned thinking was called lunacy. We now understand that the moon has little to do with mental states. But since some people who manage to function fairly well in society may show signs of “wobbling close to the edge” of lunacy, we call them members of the Lunatic Fringe.

Personally I can think of a whole lot of people in positions of power who are wobbling precariously close to the edge.

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Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a writer, poet, and artist.
Learn more about her multi-award winning novel, In the Context of Love.
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