Crazier Than a Load Lizard

Origin

This expression is best known as the type of colorful, over-the-top line delivered by Owen Wilson in several of his films.

The phrase itself does not appear in older dialect sources, Southern slang collections, or historical sayings. Instead, it’s a made-up, humorous critter-name meant to sound rural or Southern without coming from real regional speech.

Its structure-comparing someone’s behavior to an odd or imaginary animal-is common in folksy comic writing, which makes the line memorable and easily mistaken for authentic country talk.

Verdict: Southernish. Pop-culture origins, rural flavor, but not a traditional Southern saying.