We are here in a civilized country, and we cannot have such stupidity. I`m not going to hear a fool, and I`m not going to have someone dictate something to me about my own business. Madness is stupidity. Starting a food fight in a cafeteria is an example of stupidity. In the Middle Ages, Thome Fole was a name given to those who were perceived as unintelligent. This eventually evolved into the spelling tomfool, which, when capitalized, also refers to a professional clown or buffoon in a play or contest. The name Tom seems to have been chosen because of his quality as an ordinary man, much like Joe Blow for an ordinary person or Johnny Reb for a soldier in the Confederate army, but Tomfoolery does not need to be applied strictly to the actions of men. In Lucy Maud Montgomery`s Anne of Green Gables (1908), for example, Marilla Cuthbert complains about Anne: «She shines somewhere with Diana, writes stories or practices dialogue or such stupidity, and never thinks about time or her duties.» And for the other nonsense that pretends to search the premises: Cope has an arrest warrant? Tomfoolery is a silly word, and it means a stupid thing: stupid or ridiculous behavior. Madness is useless behavior, like playing pranks or being obnoxious.

If a group of students in the class continues to talk and laugh, the teacher might shout, «Stop your stupidity!» Madness can be boring to others, but it usually doesn`t matter. Committing a crime is far worse than stupidity. Madness is more like making fun of it or being a clown. It does not come from any stupidity when eating and a good regular brushing evening and morning. I should be above being annoyed by this stupidity – but these guys who summon go too far.