three sheets to the wind
Sailing terminology: intoxicated
Three sheets to the wind means very drunk.
The phrase comes from sailing—sheets are ropes controlling sails, and if three come loose, the vessel lurches unpredictably, much like a person staggering from too much alcohol.
By midnight he was three sheets to the wind and couldn't find his car keys.
- plasteredExtremely intoxicated
- blind drunkExtremely intoxicated state
- wastedUsed without good result
- hammeredSeverely intoxicated or pounded
- dead drunkExtremely intoxicated state
sloshed · falling down drunk · under the influence · inebriated · blotto · drunk as a skunk · in one's cups · feeling no pain · buzzed · one too many · boozy · out of it · worse for wear · crocked · pickled · bombed · soused · tied one on
- Nautical Idiomsbatten down the hatches, all hands on deck, smooth sailing, in the same boat, rock the boat
- Old Idiomsbeyond the pale, hue and cry, scot-free, knight in shining armor, eat humble pie
- Weather Idiomsunder the weather, when it rains it pours, come rain or shine, rain check, take a rain check
- Drinking Slangdrunk, wasted, hammered, plastered, smashed
- nautical termsahoy, afloat, aye aye, aye-aye, becalmed
- pirate talkahoy, arr, argh, aye, aye aye
three sheets to the windsober
Free from intoxication
bone-dry · teetotal · on the wagon · abstinent · dry
three sheets to the windlucid
Mentally sharp and comprehensible
sharp as a tack · sharp · alert · clear-eyed · compos mentis
three sheets to the windsteady
Fixed, not fluctuating
sure-footed · coordinated · poised · in control · steady as a rock
sheet, three, thirds, triplets, threes, threefold, threesome, triplication