As for what a sheet is, my sailor friends say both the sail and the line (NEVER "rope!") A common sailor's knot is a sheet bend. There, I took a bight out of that one, I did!
As for what a sheet is, my sailor friends say both the sail and the line (NEVER "rope!") _____________________________________
Never rope - I quite agree (unless you were asking someone if they had any spare, but it's really far too vague a thing to ask for). A sheet = the rope that is used for moving a sail in and out. Most other stuff would probably be control lines. Collectively it's all commonly referred to as 'string' or knitting! Depends on how tangled up you've managed to get them all.
Back to the original strain: Out to lunch Off his trolley Trollied Out of your tree Wibbled (but that's a kind of personal one and probably ought to go under word-coinage - I seem to remember (way back in the depths of student-dom) that it harks back to Blackadder, that 'to wibble' was to talk nonsense - when drunk one does and therefore you are 'wibbled'). Wazzed Worse for Wear Drunk as a Skunk Pissed as a newt W**kered 'Had a little too much' rat-arsed 'Under the weather' Over-indulged
We have often wondered if "shitfaced" meaning drunk was a regional thing (from the Prairies). Anyone from elsewhere use it regularly? My Newfoundland friend contributed:
Indeed, and Manitoba is even closer to Michigan than Newfoundland!
By the way, the original post which started this off talked about usage of pissed. I use it both ways. Usually the context will help distinguish between angry and drunk. You can always say "pissed off" if you want to be clear about being angry.
Around here, people say that someone "has a load on" if they're drunk.
In my opinion, the phrase seems more closely related to Baby's diapers than to drunkenness.
i agree, rapunzel! your comment brings to mind a card i received when one of my babies was born, which said something to the effect of "You know you're a redneck when you think the '12-14lbs' label on the diaper package refers to the load it can hold."
as for the original conversation, "pissed" would almost always mean angry around here, but it's not a very nice word to use. for drunkenness, we usually use "lit" or "plastered".
We have often wondered if "shitfaced" meaning drunk was a regional thing (from the Prairies).
This was in common use when I lived in a house in London, along with a Glaswegian and a couple of Cornish people whose father hailed from the Ukraine. Don't ask me where it comes from originally...
We have often wondered if "shitfaced" meaning drunk was a regional thing (from the Prairies).
This was in common use when I lived in a house in London, along with a Glaswegian and a couple of Cornish people whose father hailed from the Ukraine.
Well, that's interesting, because there are a lot of Ukrainians in Manitoba. My Newfoundland source says it's not as commonly used here (where the cultural background is 97% Britain/Ireland/Scotland/Wales).
Ben Franklin made a list of 228 synonyms for the word drunk, two of them were cherubimical and nimplopsical.
... which just goes to show that you shouldn't list synonyms when you're shitfaced, I suppose!
"Shitfaced" has been in use in Zild forever. I've never heard it on TV or radio shows from overseas, yet it seems to be in common use everywhere from the posts above. Perhaps we've finally stumbled over the lodestone of Noam Chomsky's universal grammar at last!
To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if the drive to achieve drunkeness turned out to be some kind of universal constant. Elephants walk up to 80 miles in Namibia to feed on fermented bananas, and chimps and gorillas have been observed off their faces on fermented juices from various fruits. Even my last dog used to go out of her way to eat cherries which had started fermenting. A dog with a hangover is a sight to behold, let me tell you!
Tight reminded me of one of my favorite old movies-- Tight Little Island.
Set on the shetland, or hebridies.. during WWII-- a small island-- with tight defences since it was stuck out in the North Sea-- all too easy prey to any invading Naval force... And then there is a Naval battle-- a convoy is struck-- it sinks.. but some of its precious cargo-- barrel and barrels of good scotch whiskey-- bound for the Americas.. washes up on shore..
Oh, Helen, that movie is hilarious. If you enjoyed that, rent The Hallelujah Trail at once!
All the phrases mentioned are in common use around here, however one is more likely to hear "pissed" for drunk used man to man. It's not frowned on but is not used in mixed company much ... non-U ? Along the Seacoast you are more likely to hear "three sheets to the wind" from the older set and "totally gone" among the younger. "Rat faced" was popular for awhile but seems to have fallen from use.
2 seats on the aisle for Helen and Wow! "Tight little island" (its original British title was "Whisky galore") is indeed a wonderfully funny film. It was based on a book by Compton Mackenzie (who also started "The Gramophone" magazine). More recently, his highland [of Scotland] stories were used as the basis for a most enjoyable TV series "The Monarch of the Glen".
More recently, his highland [of Scotland] stories were used as the basis for a most enjoyable TV series "The Monarch of the Glen".
Is it a BBC series? May one hope it will soon appear on our Public Broadcasting stations? As they appear on the schedule we already enjoy the Britcoms "Are You Being Served" which is just repeated and repeated to our joy. (Are you free?) "Waiting For God," "To The Manor Born," "As Time Goes By," "Games," (set in Australia) and "The Industry," etc. I'm sure I've forgotten a few. Keeps me glued to set whenever they're on. Have you the ear of the BBC perchance? wow
we already enjoy the Britcoms "Are You Being Served" which is just repeated and repeated to our joy. (Are you free?) "Waiting For God," "To The Manor Born," "As Time Goes By," "Games," (set in Australia) and "The Industry," etc
Are you sure 'Games' is a Britcom? Sound like you might mean 'The Games', which is dinky-di Aussie and nothing to do with the Brits at all. A spoof behind the scenes documentary showing how SOCOG 'organise' the Games. Very funny, but not British.
The thing about "The Games" (leaving nationalities and borax-poking aside) was how credible the spoof was. The confusion, the conflicting interests, and the way that John Clarke (as the boss) cut through it and continually left himself wide open, had us convulsed week after week. It could have really been set anywhere and still succeeded.
Perhaps, but one suspects that had it been set in the Athens Organising Committee, it would have had to have been labelled a documentary rather than a spoof/satire.
Others in regular use include "squiffy", "tight as a newt", "plastered", "arseholed", "tipsy", "pissed as a fart".
Have you heard the phrase "The sun is over the yard arm"? A nautical phrase meaning that one is not allowed to drink until the sun is beginning to set - usually interpreted as 6pm and now corrupted in my family to "The yard is over the arm" meaning "Get the booze out - it's just passed 6 o'clock"
" SUN OVER THE FOREYARD, Time for drinking in the wardroom. Eight bells in the forenoon watch: mid-day. It is a traditional Naval convention never to drink before the sun clears the foreyard. Unknowing civilians sometimes substitute yardarm in mock-navalese."
One thing that puzzled me. It seems to me that this would mean the ship was travelling east. If it were travelling west, the sun would be high above the stern, not over the foreyard.
One thing that puzzled me. It seems to me that this would mean the ship was travelling east. If it were travelling west, the sun would be high above the stern, not over the foreyard.
Meaning, it seems, that if the Captain really wanted a drink in the morning, he just needed to order the ship about. Something like the phrase, "Well, it must be noon somewhere."
Dear sarawhyler: your word "crapulent" reminded me of an old joke, about the guy who told his wife the morning after coming home drunk, that another guy had thrown up on him.To which his wife replied: "Not only that. He also filled your pants." (That's crapulent!).
Interestingly enough I've never seen "crapulent" used to mean drunk although the dictionary confirms the veracity of Sara's (welcome!) assertion.
Usually I've seen it associated with illness.
And the full expression is "the sun is over the fore yardarm", so you all got bits of it right! Usually, I've seen the response, "Well, it's over the yardarm somewhere. Have a drink!"
I use "crapulent" to mean "over-indulgent" with regard to alcohol and/or rich food...I've never applied it specifically to illness, although I suppose vertigo and vomiting are associated... Sara.
I use "crapulent" to mean "over-indulgent" with regard to alcohol and/or rich food.
It's the overindulgence in rich food side of things I've seen the word associated with. However, I'm impressed with anyone who uses the word "crapulent" for anything. Most of the people I deal with on a day-to-day basis wouldn't have even heard of the word!
Crapital Kiwi mentions: However, I'm impressed with anyone who uses the word "crapulent" for anything.
I had never heard the word until The Simpsons came along... Mr. Burns used it in the context of how evil he is ~ something about wallowing in his own crapulence. I love it. I've been saying it ever since, and now you've given me a new way to make use of it!
Isn't it too bad that such a lovely time of day is described by such an ugly word? For some reason, "crepuscular" always makes me think of crabs and lobsters. And I don't like seafood.
My absolute favourite has to be "crapulent" Others in regular use include "squiffy", "tight as a newt", "plastered", "arseholed", "tipsy", "pissed as a fart".
Somebody would have to be incredibly intoxicated (poisoned) to be crapulent! Brings up visions of eruptions and pus. Gleck! (gag emoticon) But then, I am delicate in sensibility! (double) An interesting word, must tell my nurse friends!
Welcome Sara! looking forward to more of your posts! wow
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) staff here knows.. it came from my parents.
I've been saying it ever since, and now you've given me a new way to make use of it!
