etymology - What is the origin of the phrase "to go apeshit"?


What is the origin of the phrase "to go apeshit"?


An example usage would be:



And then he went apeshit over the prize he just won.



Obviously there is a strong visual associated with an angry ape, but is there a known history to the phrase as it is used today?



Answer



Note that "-shit" is often used as a slangy intensifier: bullshit, chickenshit, batshit. The enduring popularity of bullshit (which in the sense of "falsehood"/"nonsense" is actually of much more recent vintage than the equivalent bull, despite what one may assume) probably inspired the others.


Apeshit can therefore be traced to ape (in the "going ape" sense), just as batshit can be traced to batty or bats. All four basically mean the same thing.


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