slap-happy
Meaning
dazed, punch-drunk, or silly, especially from being repeatedly hit.
cheerfully casual or unconcerned; recklessly cheerful.
Structure
Usage
the old boxer was a bit slap-happy after years in the ring.
she has a wonderfully slap-happy attitude towards life's minor disasters.
working sixteen hours straight left him feeling tired and slap-happy.
Etymology
the word 'slap-happy' is a 20th-century american english compound, originally emerging from the world of boxing. the first element, 'slap', evokes the repetitive, jarring blows to the head that a fighter might endure. the second element, 'happy', in its older sense related to chance or fortune, evolved to mean a state of pleasure or contentment. when combined, the term literally describes a state of dazed, careless cheerfulness induced by being slapped around, a meaning that later broadened metaphorically to describe anyone who is casually reckless or overly cheerful in a foolish manner.
Analysis
slap: of germanic origin (low german slapp), imitative of the sound; functional role: descriptive base. happy: from middle english hap (chance, luck), of old norse origin; functional role: descriptive base.