cap over the windmill
In a bizarre or eccentric manner.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He acts with his cap over the windmill sometimes.”
“The artist threw his cap over the windmill and painted the entire living room neon green.”
“Ignoring all social conventions, the eccentric inventor threw his cap over the windmill and began conducting his experiments in the middle of the public square.”
From the verbal phrase *throw one's cap over the windmill*. In the absence of dates or named personages in the record, the expression remains a literal image of a reckless gesture.
- 01
bust a cap
To fire a weapon; to shoot with a gun.
- 02
cap in hand
In a humble and respectful manner.
- 03
cap it all off
To finish or complete something; to add a finishing touch.
- 04
considering cap
An imaginary hat worn to aid careful thought or deliberation.
- 05
feather in one's cap
An accomplishment; particularly one that is flaunted or boasted of.
- 06
mistake windmills for giants
To perceive ordinary, nonthreatening objects or situations as significant dangers or adversaries, often due to an overly romantic, idealistic, or deluded worldview.
- 07
set one's cap at
To choose a man as a potential husband (for a girl).
- 08
thinking cap
A metaphorical state of focused thinking or concentration, invoked to encourage problem-solving.
Last updated August 10, 2026