Congratulations to
lilkimmyk for reaching 90% of goal and
Queen of Hearts Red! And congratulations to
snels for reaching 100% of goal and
Mad Hatter Green!
The phrase "mad as a hatter" has uncertain origins; however, the most widely believed is this: in 18th and 19th century England, mercury was used in the production of felt, which was used in the manufacturing of hats common of the time. Workers were exposed daily to trace amounts of the metal, which accumulated within their bodies over time, causing some workers to develop dementia caused by mercury poisoning (called mad hatter disease). Thus, the phrase became popular as a way to refer to someone who was perceived as insane. The earliest use of the phrase found in print is from the January–June 1829 issue of
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, in a conversation between a group of fictional characters:
NORTH: Many years – I was Sultan of Bello for a long period, until dethroned by an act of the grossest injustice; but I intend to expose the traitorous conspirators to the indignation of an outraged world.
TICKLER (aside to SHEPHERD.): He's raving.
SHEPHERD (to TICKLER.): Dementit.
ODOHERTY (to both.): Mad as a hatter. Hand me a segar.
As for our Mad Hatter in particular, Carroll may have taken his inspiration for the Mad Hatter from the known unusual behavior of hatters and also from Theophilus Carter, who was an Oxford cabinet maker and furniture dealer with a reputation for eccentric behavior. The cap, or in Carter's case the top hat, certainly fits. He was something of a 'mad inventor' and came up with the
alarm-clock bed, which woke people by tipping the bed over. Carroll would have been familiar with the sight of Carter, in full top hat, outside his shop at 48 High Street, Oxford, where he lived in the 1850s - during the time that Carroll was an Oxford don.
Also, thank you to
@sophy1996 for volunteering to host the April thread!