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… … Etymology dictionary
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
