I had once come across an obscure word that was associated with shaky hands, such that one might spill a drink. I tried to recall that word the other night while sipping Martinis with two hands.

essential tremor?

I tried to recall that word the other night while sipping Martinis with two hands.

Tini-tremors? Shaken but not stirred.

Actually, I think the word you are looking for is crapulous.

Or, perhaps, "inebrium tremens".

Or:

intoxishakes.

I tried to recall that word the other night while sipping Martinis with two hands.

Hey, dcampi:

How about a word which describes the nervousness of someone standing next to someone in the early stages of "intoxishakes"?

Apprehensible?

I don't know what the word is unless it's delerium tremens, but this reminded me of a story my father told about his father.

Papa Rem, as he was known, went to the doctor with badly shaking hands. "Doc, doc, something's wrong with my hands."

The doctor examined him and said, "I'm pretty sure I know what's causing this. Tell me, Papa Rem, do you drink a lot?"

"Gramps replied, "Well, how much is a lot, doc?"

"Oh, a man your size, I'd say a quart a day."

"Christ, doc, I spill that much!"

palsy? no, that's not obscure.. athetosis??

(actually®, my first thought was delirium tremens)

The word that I'm recollecting is quite elegant and not a compound. It evokes the sense of ice crystals rattling on the surface of the vodka and then spilling over the rim of the glass, wasted.

this makes me think of tremulous; but that's hardly obscure..

the sense of ice crystals rattling on the surface of the vodka and then spilling over the rim of the glass, wasted

Vivid imagery, dcampi. Definitely a word worth the hunt.

What begins as a fascinating 'shiver' can end as a terminal 'shatter', of course.

That's how I see my coinage "inebrium tremens" compared to "delirium tremens", the former the subject of collegial gaiety, the latter the subject of pity or scorn.