Re: Balmy/Barmy. As I understood it, the word comes from brewing (and remember that at up until mid 18th C - at least- most communiyies would have had their local brew-house). The Balm (or Barm, I don't recall which) was the foam formed on the liquor during the brewing process - and thus those who were considered slightly mad or daft were barmy (empty or foam headed).

Back to bad Christmas Cracker jokes:

Q:What is a cross between a cowboy and an octopus?
A: Billy the Squid.

Q: What lives in the ocean and terrified mermaids? A: Jack the Kipper

Hey, no one said they had to be funny.

Walrus