half seas over

half seas over
half seas over slang for "drunk," 1736, sometimes said to be from notion of a ship heavy-laden and so low in the water that small waves (half seas) wash over the deck. This suits the sense, but the phrase is not recorded in this alleged literal sense. Half seas over "halfway across the sea" is recorded from 1550s, however, and it was given a figurative extension to "halfway through a matter" by 1690s. What drunkenness is halfway to is not clear.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Half seas over — Half seas o ver (s[=e]z [=o] v[ e]r). Half drunk. [Slang: used only predicatively.] Spectator. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • half-seas over —    drunk    All the other states of drunkenness preceded by half indicate a condition of intoxication no less than the whole. In this case there is no seas over to be halved. It is used either of total drunkenness:     I m half seas o er to death …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

  • half-seas over — | ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ adjective slang : drunk * * * /haf seez , hahf /, Slang. drunk; intoxicated; inebriated. [1545 55] * * * half seas over «HAF SEEZ, HAHF », 1 …   Useful english dictionary

  • Half seas over — Sea Sea (s[=e]), n. [OE. see, AS. s[=ae]; akin to D. zee, OS. & OHG. s[=e]o, G. see, OFries. se, Dan. s[ o], Sw. sj[ o], Icel. s[ae]r, Goth. saiws, and perhaps to L. saevus fierce, savage. [root]151a.] 1. One of the larger bodies of salt water,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • half-seas-over — /haf siz ˈoʊvə/ (say hahf seez ohvuh) adjective Colloquial intoxicated. Also, (especially in predicative use), half seas over …  

  • half seas over Brit. — half seas over Brit. informal, dated fairly drunk. → half …   English new terms dictionary

  • half-seas over — /haf seez , hahf /, Slang. drunk; intoxicated; inebriated. [1545 55] * * * …   Universalium

  • Half-seas-over — intoxicated …   Dictionary of Australian slang

  • half-seas-over — Australian Slang intoxicated …   English dialects glossary

  • half seas over — completely drunk, totally intoxicated by alcohol …   English contemporary dictionary

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