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jump the couch v. To exhibit frenzied or aberrant behaviour that makes it appear as though one is completely out of control or even insane.
jumping the couch pp.

Example Citations:
W. has jumped the couch. ...

The former stateside National Guardsman who was sometimes M.I.A. jumped the shark by landing on that ''Mission Accomplished'' carrier. (With Tom Cruise cockiness.)

Then, as president, he jumped the couch by pedaling through the guns of August — the growing carnage and chaos in Iraq and Afghanistan.
—Maureen Dowd, "Bike-Deep In the Big Muddy," The New York Times, August 27, 2005

Let's just put it this way: We're normal at Quick until deadline, then we all "jump the couch."
—"The Ten," The Dallas Morning News, August 9, 2005

Earliest Citation:
A defining moment when you know someone has gone off the deep end. Inspired by Tom Cruise's recent behavior on Oprah.
—Melissa and Rebecca, "Jump the couch," UrbanDictionary.com, July 8, 2005

Notes:
This just-so phrase was inspired both by the famous verb phrase jump the shark and by Tom Cruise's infamous and eyebrow-raising couch-jumping antics on the May 23, 2005 Oprah Winfrey show.

Related Words:
couch-hopping
go postal
jump the shark
stress puppy

Subject Categories:
Language - Insults
Sociology - Anger and Anxiety

Posted on November 30, 2005 at 9:49 PM


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