all nuts

"All nuts" is a common slang expression used by locals across Hawaii to describe someone who is acting irrationally angry, overly intense, or completely out of control. It is typically used in casual, informal settings among friends or family to warn others to steer clear of a volatile person or situation. While it isn't considered highly offensive, it is definitely a derogatory observation, so you wouldn't use it to describe a boss or an elder to their face. The phrase likely evolved from the standard English idiom "going nuts," but in Hawaiian Pidgin, adding "all" acts as an intensifier, emphasizing that the person's behavior has completely crossed the line into unreasonable territory.

The line at the Zippy's takeout counter was stretching all the way out the door, and the auntie working the register was moving as fast as she could. But the guy two people ahead of me was getting impatient because they ran out of chili frank plates. He started grumbling loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear, slamming his hands on the glass display.

My cousin nudged me and whispered, "Ho, look at this guy, he stay all nuts over one plate lunch." We just shook our heads and stepped back a little, giving him plenty of space. You never know what somebody going do when they lose their cool over the last scoop of mac salad.

By the time the manager came out to calm him down with a free Zip Pac, the guy was already storming out to his lifted Tacoma. We finally got our food, grabbed some extra shoyu packets, and headed straight to Ala Moana Beach Park, glad we didn't let one angry customer ruin our Friday afternoon.