I'm a bit puzzled, HF, why is "mental case" offensive? Certainly there are words and phrases in our everyday talk that are worse, like "******", "psycho", "crazy as a loon", "nutjob", etc. Idiot used to be a clinical term, now it's as mainstream as any word in the language. Tell me, what term would you use to describe a young pitcher who seemingly has the physical tools but falls apart on a big league mound? A fallaparter? An unable to make the jump due to his noggin person? I worked pizza delivery for years, and often delivered to the "psych ward" at both hospitals in Eau Claire, and had many patients call it the nut house, crazy ward, and so on. I'm a tad bit on the heavy side myself (in the same way that Prince has a tad bit of a great future), and I certainly wouldn't feel bad if people used many words to describe me, because they're true. I guess I just don't see "mental case" as being nasty or mean. HF, if you wish to replay privately, so be it.