flak·y

[fley-kee]
adjective, flak·i·er, flak·i·est.
1.
of or like flakes.
2.
lying or cleaving off in flakes or layers.
3.
Slang. eccentric; wacky; dizzy: a flaky math professor.
Also, flak·ey.


Origin:
1570–80; 1965–70 for def 3; flake1 + -y1; sense of def. 3 probably flake4 + -y1, though influenced by flake1

flak·i·ly, adverb
flak·i·ness, noun
non·flak·i·ly, adverb
non·flak·i·ly·ness, noun
non·flak·y, adjective
un·flak·y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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00:10
Flaky is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
Collins
World English Dictionary
flaky (ˈfleɪkɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj , flakier, flakiest
1.  like or made of flakes
2.  tending to peel off or break easily into flakes
3.  slang (US) Also: flakey eccentric; crazy
 
'flakily
 
adv
 
'flakiness
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

flaky
1570s, from flake + -y (2). Meaning "eccentric, crazy" first recorded 1959, said to be Amer.Eng. baseball slang, but probably from earlier druggie slang flake "cocaine" (1920s). Flake "eccentric person" is a 1968 back-formation from it.
"The term 'flake' needs explanation. It's an insider's word, used throughout baseball, usually as an adjective; someone is considered 'flaky.' It does not mean anything so crude as 'crazy,' but it's well beyond 'screwball' and far off to the side of 'eccentric.' " ["New York Times," April 26, 1964]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary

flaky definition

[ˈfleki]
  1. mod.
    unreliable. : I'm getting so flaky. Must be old age.
  2. mod.
    habituated to the use of cocaine. (Drugs.) : He looks a little flaky. Look at his eyes and nose.
  3. mod.
    and flako. [ˈfleko]alcohol intoxicated. : Paul was flaky and couldn't drive. , Man is he flako!
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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FOLDOC
Computing Dictionary

flaky definition


(Or "flakey") Subject to frequent lossage. This use is of course related to the common slang use of the word to describe a person as eccentric, crazy, or just unreliable. A system that is flaky is working, sort of - enough that you are tempted to try to use it - but fails frequently enough that the odds in favour of finishing what you start are low. Commonwealth hackish prefers dodgy.
[Jargon File]
(1996-01-05)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © Denis Howe 2010 http://foldoc.org
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Example sentences
From sunburns to dry, flaky skin to germ-laden beauty supplies, summer weather
  can be tough on your skin and beauty routine.
Some believe that the fears over the impact on insurers of the disreputable,
  flaky mineral are overdone.
The tortilla is soft and flaky and the beans, spiced with a pungent wild
  oregano, are almost buttery.
For example, it turned out that adding too little cotton led to flaky and
  unevenly coloured paper.
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