Jack - Mentally sick or tired. Also, a "jack" is a leather
drinking mug. Cf. "Black jacked."
Jacked
Jacked up
Jag
Jag on
Jagged - A "jag" is a drinking spree, or a drunkard. Since the
1700s.
Jagged up
Jaked
Jambled - Noted by Benjamin Franklin.
Jammed
Jarred - A "jar" is a pint of beer in Australian slang.
Jazzed
Jazzed-up
JD'd to the max
Jickey
Jiggered - From the jigger used to measure liquor.
Jim-jams
Jingled - A "jingle" is a drunken spree, or the state of
mellowness from imbibing. British & US, World War I.
Jingling
Jocular
John Bull
Jolly ? Slightly intoxicated. Since the 1600s; euphemistic until the
early 1800s, colloquial since.
Jolly drunk
Jolly fu'
Jollying up
Jolted - A "jolt" is the kick or "charge" from a
drink of liquor, or the drink itself, esp. brandy or whisky straight up.
Joplined
Joy riding
Joyful
Jubilating
Jug-bitten - From the figurative sense of the liquid contents of a jug.
British, early 1600s to mid 1700s.
Jug-steamed - US, mid 1800s.
Jugged - Used esp. by British shop and office ladies. Also US; in use
since circa 1919.
Jugged-up
Juiced - Variant of "Juicy." "Juice" or "joy
juice" is booze, and a "juicer" is a heavy drinker.
Juiced to the gills
Juiced-up
Juicy - Since the early 1700s. Noted by Benjamin Franklin.
Jumbled
Jumbo - Short for "Jumbo's trunk."
Jumbo's trunk - See "Elephant's
trunk." Late 1800s.
Jungled - Drunk on "jungle juice," home-brewed drink made by
soldiers, prisoners, etc. from whatever alcohol and flavorings happen to be
available. "Jungle juice" originally meant African rum. US &
Australian.
Junked
Junked up
Jus' a li'l boopadoop
Just about drunk
Just about half-drunk
Just comfortably mellow - Euphemistic.
Just feelin' round - Cowboy slang.
Just plain drunk
Just showing signs
Just south of bejasus
Ka-floot
Kailed up - "Alcoholized." Probably influenced by
"Canned." Since circa 1927.
Kali'ed - "Kali" is a sweet of sherbet wrapped in a
triangular bag and sipped through a licorice straw. "Kali-water" is
champagne.
Kanurd - Variation of "Kennurd."
Kaput - From German for "destroyed."
Kaylied - Probably a variation of "Kali'ed."
Kayo'd/Kayoed - From K.O., a knock-out in boxing.
Keelhauled - Because one who is very drunk may look like a victim of
keelhauling.
Keeping one's nose in the cup
Keeping one's sails up - Just a bit intoxicated, but all right.
Keg-legged - Play on "peg leg." Suggests staggering gait.
Kenird - Variation of "Kennurd."
Kennurd/Kenurd - Back slang for "drunk." Cf. "Flatch
kennurd." British, since circa 1874.
Kentucky-fried
Kerflummixed/Kerflummoxed
Kerfuckered
Kerpunkle - See "Capoonkle."
Kerschnickered
Kettled
Keyed - US college use.
Keyed to the roof - Heavily inebriated.
Keyed up
Keyed up to the roof
Keyholed - The idea is that one is so drunk, one can't get the key into
the keyhole for one's house.
Kib'd heels
Kicked in the guts - A "kick in the guts" is a drink of liquor.
Kicking up one's heels
Kicking up the devil
Killed
Killed off - Removed from (or lying under) the table due to intoxication.
1800s.
Killed one's dog - To "kill one's dog" means to drink
heavily or be drunk. Noted by Benjamin Franklin.
Kind of high
Kind of woozy
Kisk
Kisky - Stupid with drink. Possibly from the fuddled speech of a drunk or
from Romany "kushto," "good." Alternately, could have been
influenced by "whisky" and "frisky." British, mid 1800s to
mid 1900s.
Kissed (the) Black Betty - To "kiss the babe/Black Betty" means
to take a drink. Noted by Benjamin Franklin.
Kissing the cap
Kited
Knapped/Knapt - Noted by Benjamin Franklin.
Knackered
Knee-crawling
Knee-crawling drunk
Knee-crawling, commode-hugging, gutter-wallowing drunk
Knee-crawling, going around with one's zipper open drunk
Knee-slapping drunk
Knee-walking drunk
Kneed
Knocked blooey
Knocked coo-coo
Knocked for/to a loop
Knocked off one's pins
Knocked one's link out - 1700s.
Knocked out
Knocked over
Knocked up
Knockered
Knockin' round like a blind dog in a meat shop ? Cowboy slang.
Knocking it back
Knows how the cards are dealt - Means that one is a heavy drinker.
Knows not the way home
Knows the way home
Knus-drunk
K.O.'d - See "Kayo'd."
Kraeusened
Krank/Kronk - Variation of "Cronk."
Kursasted
Ky-eyed
Laced - Because one's bloodstream is laced with alcohol. Also,
"lace" is strong liquor, or beer (from "lace curtain"
meaning Burton beer). Cf. "Polluted."
Laced one's coffee/tea - To "lace" a non-alcoholic drink is
to spike it, esp. with rum or brandy.
Lager-frenzied
Laid
Laid back
Laid out - Like a corpse at a wake.
Laid out like a rug
Laid right out
Laid to the bone
Lame
Langered
Lap in the gutter
Lap-legged drunk - So plastered that one is walking unsteadily. May come from "lapsided," a variation of "lopsided."
Lapped
Lapped the gutter
Lapping (in) the gutter - So drunk as to drink from the gutter like a
dog. British, 1800s.
Lapping it up
Lappy - "Lap" or "lapper" is thieves' slang for
drink. 1700s to 1800s.
Larruping drunk - To "larrup" is to flog. In the Old West,
"larruping" meant "great" or "wonderful."
Lathered
Laughing at the carpet - Floored by intoxication.
Laughing jag - Given to laughter due to inebriation.
Laying one on
Laying out dead drunk
Laying out one's kit - Vomiting due to intoxication.
Leaked
Leaning
Leaping
Leaping drunk
Leaping up
Leary/Leery - US, late 1800s to early 1900s.
Leathered
Led astray
Legless - Drunk to the point of falling over. Scottish
Lekker - Tipsy. South African slang, from Afrikaans.
Letting 'er go
Letting 'er go Gallagher - The phrase means "let's begin,"
so it may mean starting to get intoxicated.
Letting 'er snort
Letting 'er tear
Letting go
Letting off steam
Letting the finger ride the thumb - "Finger and thumb" is
rhyming slang for rum.
Letting the finger ride the thumb too often
Leveled/Levelled
Lifted - US college slang.
Lifting one's elbow
Lifting the little finger
Light - Noted by Benjamin Franklin.
Light-headed
Light on top
Light up - Bahamian slang. From "Lit up."
Lighting up
Lights out
Lightsome
Like a glee-man's bitch - A glee-man is a minstrel. Refers to the
staggering gait of a souse. Appears in William Longman's "Piers
Plowman."
Like a rat in trouble - A "rat in trouble" is a drunkard. Cf.
"Drunk as a drowned rat."
Like an owl in an ivy bush - Having a vacant stare due to drunkenness.
The ivy bush is a favored haunt for owls, as well as the favorite plant of
Bacchus. Since the 1600s.
Like Chloe/Cloe - See "Drunk as
Chloe."
Likker-soaked
Likkerous
Limber - Noted by Benjamin Franklin.
Limp - Very drunk.
Lined - Lined with a coating of alcohol.
Lion-drunk - Roaring drunk, drunk and rowdy or quarrelsome. Since the
1500s.
Liquified
Liquor plug
Liquor-struck
Liquored/Likkered
Liquored/Likkered up
Liquorish/Likkerish
Liquor's talking - Cf. "Has a talking
load."
Listened to the owl hoot
Listing - Leaning.
Listing to starboard
Lit - From the euphoric state rather than the redness of the face.
Lit a bit
Lit to the gills
Lit to the guards
Lit to the gunnels
Lit up - British army use.
Lit up a little bit
Lit up like a cathedral
Lit up like a Chanukah bush
Lit up like a Christmas tree
Lit up like a church
Lit up like a church window
Lit up like a fifty-watter with 12 volts on the filament
Lit up like a kite
Lit up like a lighthouse
Lit up like a skyscraper
Lit up like a store window
Lit up like Broadway
Lit up like High Mass
Lit up like London
Lit up like Main Street
Lit up like the Catholic Church
Lit up like the Commonwealth
Lit up like the sky
Lit up like Times Square
Lit up to show one's human
Litty - Drunk and having a great time
Little bit on the go
Little bit round the corner
Little off the beam - See "Off the beam."
Little 'round the corner
Little tight - Tipsy.
Little woozy
Living up a bit
Loaded - A "load" is enough alcohol to get one drunk. Also
"loaded" means laced with intoxicant. US & British, since the
1800s.
Loaded for bear(s) - "Ammunition" is alcoholic drink. US, since
the 1800s.
Loaded one's cart
Loaded to the barrel
Loaded to the earlobes
Loaded to the gills
Loaded to the guards
Loaded to the gunwales/gunnels - US nautical, late 1800s.
Loaded to the hat
Loaded to the muzzle
Loaded to the Plimsoll mark - The Plimsoll mark (after Sam Plimsoll) is
the legal submergence level of British merchant vessels. Thus, means loaded
with all one can hold. British, since the 1800s.
Loaded to the tailgate
Loaded up
Loading up
Lock-legged
Locked
Locoed out
Locoed out on an 8-ball
Logged - Derived from "Waterlogged."
Long stale drunk - Depressed as the result of alcoholic debauchery. US,
late 1800s.
Longlong - Pidgin.
Longwhisky - Pidgin.
Looked upon the wine when it was red - Tipsy. Elaborate euphemism that
appears in an 1897 Summerville and Ross story. From Proverbs
in the Bible.
Looking blue about the gills
Looking boozy
Looking lively - British, mid 1800s.
Looking through a glass
Loony
Loop-legged
Looped - From the phrase "thrown for a loop."
Looped-legged
Loopy
Loopy-legged
Loose
Loose in the haft - Noted by Benjamin Franklin.
Loose in the hilt(s) - Unsteady. Noted by Benjamin Franklin.
Loosening up
Loppy
Lordly - Cf. "Drunk as a
lord."
Lost one's royal rudder
Loud and proud
Lousy drunk - Very inebriated.
Love-dovey - Drunk and amorous.
Low in the saddle - Slumped over. Cf. "High in the
saddle."
Lubed - Short for "Lubricated."
Lubed up
Lubricated - Suggests that one has been maliciously plied with
intoxicants.
Luffed the sails - If you "luff the headsail," you've pointed your sloop too far into the wind and it flaps loosely (in much the same manner as "three sheets to the wind"). "Headsail" is pronounced head-s'l. In addition, the sloop loses stability and rocks with the waves instead of staying nicely heeled over. Used for someone who has crossed his or her limit.
Lumped
Lumpy - Since the 1800s.
Lush - To "lush" is to drink heavily or frequently. Suggests
that one is wealthy enough to afford the luxury of intoxication.
Lushed
Lushed to the gills
Lushed up
Lushed up to the nuts
Lushing it around
Lushington
Lushington is one's master - See "Alderman Lushington is
concerned."
Lushy/Lushie/Lushey - British & US, since the 1800s.
Lushy and stropolus - Drunk and rowdy.
Lying in the gutter - Very drunk, blotto.
Mad with it
Made a bridge of one's nose - The person described has passed by
someone in drinking - and may soon pass out. To "make a bridge of one's
nose" is to push a bottle past someone so he/she misses out on a drink;
thus, the phrase means to supercede someone.
Made an example
Made drunk come
Madza-beargered - Half drunk. "Madza" is pronounced
"med-ser" and comes from Italian "mezzo." Anglo-Irish,
esp. public house use.
Maggoty - Very drunk. From old term for "bad-tempered" or
"whimsical." Anglo-Irish, mainly tavern use.
Main brace (is) well-spliced - See "Has spliced the main
brace." Or from the strengthening influence of good liquor.
Making a trip to Baltimore
Making a night of it
Making fun
Making hell pop loose
Making hey-hey
Making indentures - Staggering. Noted by Benjamin Franklin.
Making indentures with one's legs - Noted by Benjamin Franklin.
Making Ms and Ts
Making Ms and Ws - From the staggering gait of a sot. British printer's
slang, since circa 1860.
Making scallops - Cf. "Making wavy-rule."
Making snakes
Making things look crimson
Making Virginia fence - A Virginia fence is a zigzag fence. Hence,
walking in a zigzag fashion. Noted by Benjamin Franklin.
Making wavy-rule - Staggering drunk. From a printer's term for a wavy
line. Since circa 1880.
Malt above the meal - Refers to the use of malt in the making of
alcoholic beverages. One who allows the malt to get ahead of the meal is
losing control. Another meaning is that one is on the verge of alcoholism.
Since the late 1500s.
Malted - From the malt in beer. Cf. "Hopped."
Malty
Mangled
Marinated - Cf. "Basted."
Market fresh - From English farmers who would return home sloshed.
Maroc - Shortening of "Marockgoolus."
Marockgoolus - Perversion of "Miraculous." Scottish, used esp.
by Glaswegians.
Martin drunk - Very drunk. From St. Martin's Day, a time of orgiastic
celebration. "St. Martin's evil" is drunkenness. Late 1500s.
Mashed
Massacred
Mastok - Australian.
Maudlin/Mawdlin - Drunk and crying. From Mary Magdalene, who is often
depicted weeping. Since the 1600s.
Maudlin drunk
Mauled/Mauld - Extremely inebriated. British, since the 1600s.
Mawbrish - British, 1800s.
Mawdin drunk - Maudlin.
Maxed - Possibly from drug lingo for "stoned," or from "Maxed
out." Also, "max" is gin.
Maxed out
M.B. - From Melbourne Bitter, a well-known brand of Australian beer.
Since circa 1930.
Mean
Mealy mouthed
Mega-drunk
Mellow - Almost drunk, or pleasantly tipsy. Since the late 1600s.
Mellowing
Mellowish
Melted - Very drunk.
Mental
Merry - Cheerful but not obnoxious. "Merry-merry" is booze of
dubious origin, and "merry-go-down" is strong ale. British &
later US, since the early 1700s.
Merry as a Greek - Because the ancient Greeks had a reputation for high
living. A "merry Greek" is a drunken roysterer.
Merry as a grig - A "grig" is a small cricked or a lively
youngster. Also, this could be a corruption of "Merry as a Greek."
Mesmerized
Messed
Messed-up
Methodistconated - Jocular reference to the Methodist negative view of
drinking.
Mexican-fried
Mickey Finnished - Chloral hydrate, known popular as "Mickey
Finn," was once slipped into drinks to make drinkers pass out.
Middling/Middlin'
Miffy
Milled - British, 1800s.
Minging - Means "stinking," so this means "stinking
drunk."
Miraculous - Very drunk. Cf. "In miraculous high
spirits." Scottish
Scottish, since the late 1800s.
Mitered
Mixed - Tipsy. Since circa 1871.
Mixed-up
Mizzled - Tipsy. Since circa 1923.
Moccasined - May mean bitten by a water moccasin.
Mocus/Mokus - Confused, incoherent. AA term, possibly from "mokus,"
hobo slang for liquor.
Moist around/'round the edges - Slightly tipsy. To "moisten"
is to drink booze.
Moistened
Moldy/Mouldy - Very drunk. Anglo-Irish pub term.
Molly
Monged - Drunk and asleep. More often used for marijuana, but applicable to alcohol. British
Molo - British army slang.
Monstered
Moofing - Intoxicated beyond the point of mobility, but still conscious.
US college campus use.
Moon-eyed - Since the early 1700s.
Moonlit
Moonshined
Moony/Mooney - Drunk and dreamy, or tipsy. Since the 1800s.
Moored in Sot's Bay
Mopped - A "mop" is a drinking spree.
Mopping it down
Moppy - British & US, early 1800s to early 1900s.
Mops and brooms - See "All mops and
brooms."
More or less in liquor - Half-tipsy.
Moron
Mortal - Dead drunk. Short for "Mortal drunk." British, since
circa 1808.
Mortal drunk
Mortallious - Elaboration of "Mortal drunk." British, 1800s.
Mortally drunk - Extremely inebriated. Since the 1700s.
Motherless
Motto - Romany for "intoxicated." Often used by tramps.
Mountous
Mouthy - Cf. "Has a talking load."
Mozart - Shortening of "Mozart and Liszt."
Mozart and Liszt - Tipsy. Rhyming slang. Cf. "Brahms and
Liszt."
Since circa 1945.
Muckibus - Probably a written nonce. British, mid 1700s to mid 1800s.
Muddled - Stupefied by spirits. Since circa 1780.
Muddled up - Since the late 1600s.
Muddy
Muffed
Mug
Mug blot
Mug blotto
Mug/Mugg blotts
Mugged - To "mug oneself" means to get drunk. Cf.
"Cup-shot." US, mid 1800s.
Mugged up
Muggy - Tipsy. From the word's sense of "damp." British &
US, since circa 1858.
Mulled
Mulled up
Mullet-eyed
Munted - Really out from drinking large quantities of booze. English
university slang.
Muntered - When one is so drunk one sleeps with or has intimate relations with a Munter (ugly person).
Murky
Mushy
Muy tostado - "Well toasted." From Spanish.
Muzzed - Stupidly drunk. To "muzz" is to intoxicate, and to
"muzzle" is to drink to excess. Properly, this word refers to
weather that is dull and overcast. Since circa 1787.
Muzzy - Tipsy, stupefied, or made dull by drink. British & later US,
since circa 1775.
Nace/Nase/Naze - From either French "nez," nose, or German
"nass," wet. Cant, early 1500s to 1700s.
Nailed to the floor
Nappy - Means "heady." From old Scottish dialect for the froth
on ale. "Nap" or "nappy ale" is strong or
"heady" ale. British & US, since the 1800s.
Nasty drunk
Native - Used in phrases such as "Gone native." Cf. "Gone
Borneo."
Nazy/Nazie/Nazzie/Nazzy - Variant of "Nace." Since circa 1530.
Nearly off one's rocker
Needing a reef taken in - Nautical.
Negro drunk - US derogatory, early 1800s.
Newted - From "Pissed as a
newt."
Nice
Nicely thanks - Tipsy. From the reply when one is asked how one is doing.
Nimptopsical - Noted by Bemjamin Franklin.
99 44/100% drunk - Derived from the Ivory soap
slogan "99 44/100% pure."
Nipped
Niptopsical
Nitty-pissed - Term popular with a British army unit once stationed in
Hong Kong.
Nodded
Nodding out - Possibly from drug slang for being in a drugged stupor.
Noddy-headed - British, circa 1850 to circa 1910.
Noggy - British, 1800s.
Nolo - Possibly based on Latin "nolo," "not I," as in
"nolo contendere." British, WWI.
Non compos/Noncompos - Shortening of Latin "non compos mentis,"
"not of sound mind," or mentally defective.
Non compos mentis
Non compos poopoo
Noppy
Not able to handle/hold one's liquor
Not able to see through a ladder
Not all there
Not feeling any pain
Not heeling over - All right after a drink or two.
Not in any pain
Not suffering
Not suffering any
Nuked
Numb
Numb with drink
Nuts
Nutty - A "nut" is a dram of spirits.
N.Y.D. - Military hospital euphemism. Abbreviation for "Not Yet
Diagnosed." Since the late 1800s.
A to B | C to D | E to H | I to O | P to S | T to Z | Quotes | Trivia
Stagger back to the Crazy Cosmos