What it means
Said when you’re absolutely up for something, full of hype and ready to commit, even if it’s a daft last minute plan. It popped off in the 90s around the Madchester scene and the Gallaghers, and people still use it to back a night out, a gig, or the match. No hesitation, just go.
Usage examples
"You coming Parklife, our kid? Mad for it. I’ve necked me brew, grabbed me bucket hat, and I’m off to Heaton Park, proper buzzing."
"Tickets dropped Friday morning, missus says yes, manager says yes, knees say yes. Mad for it, I’m already pricing curry houses near the venue."
"Five-a-side at seven, pub from nine, mate’s sofa after, alarm at six for work. Mad for it, what could possibly go wrong on a school night."
Where it comes from
The phrase punched into the national vocabulary during the Madchester years, late eighties into nineties, when the Hacienda, the Stone Roses and the Gallagher brothers turned every weekend into a pilgrimage. Saying you were mad for it meant you were already through the turnstiles in your head, bucket hat on, parka unzipped, ready for the noise.
Other ways to say it
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