Tight as a Boiled Owl

January 18, 2017 6:40 PM

The English language has produced a staggering number of words and phrases for the state of being intoxicated by alcohol. The Drunktionary collects hundreds of them, from "A beat up tank" to "zozzled", all in glorious 2001 Tripod style.

For more rigorous etymological information, see the Historical Thesaurus of English entry on "drinking to excess", though it focuses on words rather than phrases.

posted by jedicus (15 comments total)

Web Page Blocked!

The page you have requested has been blocked, because the URL is banned.

URL: freaky_freya.tripod.com/Drunktionary/drunkcentral.html

Aww. Web 1.0 is dead.
posted by saturday_morning at 6:57 PM on January 18, 2017

I always thought that "caramelized" and "deleted" would be good euphemisms for 'drunk.' Same with 'more loaded that Peter O'Toole on Cinco De Mayo.'
posted by jonmc at 7:18 PM on January 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

I'd really love an Achewood-specific compendium for this.
posted by invitapriore at 7:18 PM on January 18, 2017 [2 favorites]

I always liked 'swacked'.
posted by Splunge at 7:20 PM on January 18, 2017

Drink, drunk, dronk.
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:31 PM on January 18, 2017 [2 favorites]

To celebrate (?) the closing down of our restaurant, we invited our customers to come in one last time to get smash-hammered, which I'm particularly proud of coining. It's a perfectly cromulent word for when wants to get incredibly drunk to mourn the passing of something, but without getting all maudlin about it.
posted by Ghidorah at 7:36 PM on January 18, 2017 [1 favorite]

Admiral of the narrow seas - Refers to a drunk who throws up in his neighbor's lap. Nautical and tavern use, 1650s to 1800s.
posted by mr_roboto at 7:52 PM on January 18, 2017 [5 favorites]

Wandering out into the tall grass...
posted by jim in austin at 7:56 PM on January 18, 2017

I am a fan of the frog graphic for terms A-B.
posted by brennen at 8:35 PM on January 18, 2017

I like "tired and emotional."
posted by apricot at 8:54 PM on January 18, 2017

Nice quotes section on that site, reminding us that people have been getting smashed for literally millennia.
posted by Blackanvil at 8:05 AM on January 19, 2017

This reminded me of a curious term for being drunk sometimes heard in Glasgow: maroc. Nothing to do with a North African country or its tangerines, but a shortening of “miraculous”. And is there a more apt term for that delightful feeling of giddy all-powerfulness just before things get a bit regrettable?

obligatory: Rikki Fulton.
posted by scruss at 10:04 AM on January 19, 2017 [1 favorite]

Ghidorah: My charming and I are visiting friends this Friday to get absolutely smash-hammered, to mourn the passing of sanity from the administration.

Thank you for the term, it fits like a glove.
posted by drfu at 10:56 AM on January 19, 2017 [2 favorites]

And now, a musical interlude from Mancattan Transfer
posted by DrAstroZoom at 11:37 AM on January 19, 2017

Where I grew up, "tight as a boiled owl" had long been bastardized to, "drunk as a boweled owl," whatever the hell that means.
posted by Token Meme at 10:24 AM on January 20, 2017 [1 favorite]