three sheets
Sailor's term: wasted
Three sheets, short for "three sheets to the wind," means very drunk.
The phrase comes from sailing, where sheets are ropes controlling sails—if three came loose, the ship would lurch unpredictably, like a staggering drunk: He was three sheets by midnight.
Sometimes used with varying degrees: two sheets to the wind for moderately drunk.
Mildly intoxicated
- inebriatedIntoxicated by alcohol
- buzzedMildly intoxicated
- sloshedVery intoxicated
- plasteredExtremely intoxicated
hammered · wasted · blotto · sozzled · drunk · soused · tanked · smashed
tipsy
Mildly intoxicated
- inebriatedIntoxicated by alcohol
- buzzedMildly intoxicated
- sloshedVery intoxicated
plastered · hammered · wasted · blotto · sozzled · drunk · soused · tanked · smashed · besotted
sail
Ship's wind-catching fabric
halyard · jib · mainsheet · vessel · mariner · seafarer · helm · starboard · port · bow
wobble
Unsteady side-to-side motion
sway · stumble · reel · weave · totter · listing · slurring · swaying · careening · reeling
- nauticalanchor, anchor chain, anchors, boat, boats
- Euphemismspass away, passed away, passed on, expecting, with child
- hangoverhangover, hungover, morning after, rough night, one too many
- Nautical Idiomsbatten down the hatches, all hands on deck, smooth sailing, in the same boat, rock the boat
- drinkersdrinker, drinkers, imbiber, imbibers, drunk
- Drinking historyale, mead, tavern, alehouse, tankard