This is why

Although I felt that my hypothesis as to the meaning of the title was accurate, I knew I should do some research to see what other people thought, possibly including Anthony Burgess himself. The first source I came upon said that the term was meant to mean anything queer, strange, or unusual. Other than Alex’s mannerisms and the awkward slang used throughout the novel, I couldn’t see much of a connection to the title since those three adjectives have nothing to do with the plot. Also included was a quote from Burgess from a Rolling Stone article that read, "The title of the book comes from an old London expression, which I first heard from a very old Cockney in 1945: 'He's as queer as a clockwork orange' (queer meaning mad...). I liked the phrase because of its yoking of tradition and surrealism, and I determined some day to use it." Maybe if I were British I would understand it better. This can be associated with the maddening nature of the novel and how crazy the idea of messing with free will is. Traditionally, when something is referred to as “clockwork”, it can be noted as automatic because it sticks to a schedule and is persistent. So now, “orange” is most likely something that interferes with the clockwork. The more I thought about the meaning, I began to understand what Burgess was trying to do. Since the whole novel is written in an odd vernacular, the title probably was meant to blend in with the rest of the novel and be part of the slang. As I was reading the novel, I gradually learned what each of the words meant based on how they were used in context; therefore, I would need “a clockwork orange” to be used more in context to decipher its meaning. It was used very little in the novel so I decided to consult another source. The best definition for “a clockwork orange” was “[something with] the appearance of an organism lovely with colour and juice but is in fact only a clockwork toy to be wound by God or the Devil.” This explanation depicts Alex after his cure perfectly: he is a character with the qualities of a human being but can only act according to how his treatment allows him. Alex lost the ability to choose, although it appears as if he chooses to do good all the time. This definition must have been the translation from old London vernacular that Burgess was referring to.