Full tonto????

[ancientgran]

Am I unreasonable to have no idea what Ben Wallace means? The only Tonto I know is The Lone Ranger's partner, highlight programme for me back in the 50s/60s.

It sounds like it is insulting but Tonto was good, why would you use that in a negative way or am I missing another connection.

I'd normally ask teenage grandson to explain but he's away so hoping MNetters can put me right on this one.

Batshit crazy, I think

Yes go tonto means go crazy afaik

Thanks, so is it connected to Tonto in some way, surely that would be racist.

It means gone mad, very mad. You wouldn’t think it would be appropriate to make mental health slurs these days. Putin is doing something very evil. He’s bad not mad.

The word means " stupid" in Spanish. No connection to the character in the Lone Ranger.

Spanish word for crazy/mad

Apparently in Spanish it means stupid so it’s probably more likely come via that

My colleague i we’d say ‘he going to go to to’ when she meant someone was going to be angry.

Poor Tonto, why would you give a nice character a name like that.

I agree with @TorringtonDean Putin is bad not mad.

Thanks for the info by the way. I always liked Tonto, more than the Lone Ranger so I guess I feel a bit protective of Tonto.

I always thought the Spanish for mad was loco. I wonder where I got that from.

Does anyone remember someone using this phrase on MN? I think the thread was 'AIBU to have gone full Tonto?' and it was just full of people asking what it meant? Haha

Well I obviously missed that one. I should pay more attention.

@ancientgran

I always thought the Spanish for mad was loco. I wonder where I got that from.

Loco does mean crazy in Spanish. We often have more than one word for something as do most other languages.

Going tonto in Scotland means giving someone a big row.
'I stayed out all night and my mum went full Tonto on me'
Don't know it's origin, maybe comparing the rage of a hundred native Americans charging at you?

@MrsJackRackham

Going tonto in Scotland means giving someone a big row. 'I stayed out all night and my mum went full Tonto on me' Don't know it's origin, maybe comparing the rage of a hundred native Americans charging at you?

So glad you read the thread 👍👍👍👍👍

I think in Spanish "tonto" technically means fool.

@FlibbertyGiblets

Whatever it means or wherever it comes from, it was excruciatingly embarrassing to hear a government minister saying it...

Ref to old Lone Ranger episode
One I like is from The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold , where Tonto adds, " Sheriff have sickness in head--- cannot fix with medicine“

@ElisesGran

Ref to old Lone Ranger episode One I like is from The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold , where Tonto adds, " Sheriff have sickness in head--- cannot fix with medicine“

Tonto might have been my first crush, I think I'd have been about 6. I thought he was wonderful. It might not have been his repartee that did it.

I thought Ben Wallace was the capable cabinet minister, as opposed to the rest who are either overpromoted and/or nasty. I have been disappointed in his utterings over the last week.

Yes I know what you mean, it doesn't come across as very professional. Maybe the pressure is too much for him.

The Lone Ranger's sidekick being named "stupid" or "fool" in Spanish is racist & offensive. I figured that out 20 years ago when I learned Spanish. So a govt minister using the phrase "full tonto" as an expression made me wince because it made me think of the Lone Ranger. It's like when Boris called Corbyn the sexist phrase "you big girl's blouse" in Parliament. These old Tory white men use phrases thoughtlessly like they're 1950s schoolboys. We are led by idiots.

It’s a quote from Blackadder