# How many synonyms for "drunk" can you come up with in a language that you speak?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 8, 2023, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269 "2023-08-08T19:37:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/1 "2023-08-08T19:37:06Z")
Disclaimer first: I’m not drunk (at least at the moment). But I just had a random thought about how many words for (being) drunk there are in my native language of German. I also know a lot of English expressions. Of course there are also regional differences and terms restricted to dialects. I’ll start with German:
The neutral, official words (as used by doctors, jurists and journalists)
_betrunken_
_alkoholisiert_
The rest, which are all slang/colloquial:
_besoffen_
_blau_
_dicht_
_zu_
_breit_
_beschwipst_ (tipsy)
_voll_
_knülle_
_abgestochen_
_einen im Kahn haben_
_einen im Tee haben_
_einen sitzen haben_
I’m hoping for quite some different languages and dialects, so what have you? (and I’m sure in the course of this thread, I will remember some more German terms…)
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### Author:  [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/2 "2023-08-08T19:41:10Z")
Besotted, blitzed, blotto, bombed, boozy, blacked-out…that’s just the Bs.
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### Author:  [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/3 "2023-08-08T19:43:35Z")
Off the top of my head…
**American English:**
blotto
smashed
wasted
3 sheets to the wind
shit faced
half in the bag (for only sort of drunk)
hammered
sloshed
**More British-ish:**
pissed
in his/her cups
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### Author:  [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/4 "2023-08-08T19:43:44Z")
Blatzed, soused, pissed (British English)
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### Author:  [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/5 "2023-08-08T19:56:17Z")
In British Army tradition officers are never “drunk” they are “tired and emotional”
A few more britishisms:
- wankered
- off their tits (can also be drugs)
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/6 "2023-08-08T19:58:17Z")
1.
The names of my siblings.
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### Author:  [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/7 "2023-08-08T19:58:40Z")
Schnockered.
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/8 "2023-08-08T20:00:08Z")
My son often says “he’s sideways”
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### Author:  [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/9 "2023-08-08T20:05:10Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#):
>
> _besoffen_
> _beschwipst_ (tipsy)
These are the only two I know in German. I’ve learned so much today!
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/10 "2023-08-08T20:12:24Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#):
>
> Besotted, blitzed, blotto, bombed, boozy, blacked-out…that’s just the Bs.
Not even all of them-- You left off “buzzed”.
Also:
Intoxicated
Impaired
Under the influence
High (though this one usually refers to other drugs)
Tipsy
Off the wagon (though this one is more habitual, not necessarily one’s status at this exact moment)
Sauced
Woozy (might also be due to other conditions, such as tiredness)
Unsober
Pickled
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### Author:  [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/11 "2023-08-08T20:13:53Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#):
>
> These are the only two I know in German. I’ve learned so much today!
I hope it helps you on your next visit to Germany and to immerse into the culture. 😂
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### Author:  [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/12 "2023-08-08T20:16:51Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#):
>
> Schnockered.
This I like. Is it Yiddish (because of the “sch” it sounds so)?
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### Author:  [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/13 "2023-08-08T20:30:29Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#):
>
> I hope it helps you on your next visit to Germany and to immerse into the culture. 😂
It might! _Blau_ seems so much easier than _besoffen_.
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### Author:  [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/14 "2023-08-08T20:34:20Z")
Hmm, I don’t know! I was going to say it sounded German.
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### Author:  [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/15 "2023-08-08T20:37:20Z")
Oh a very American term: over-served.
Used by the ABC (alcohol board of control) to describe drunk bar patrons
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### Author:  [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/16 "2023-08-08T20:38:02Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#):
>
> It might! _Blau_ seems so much easier than _besoffen_.
See, when you Anglo folks are sad, you’re blue. When we Germans are sad, we make the best of it and _get_ blue. 😉
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### Author:  [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/17 "2023-08-08T20:41:54Z")
The standard formal term in French is ivre.
One slangy one I recall is beurré, literally buttered, which doesn’t make sense, but is kinda funny.
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### Author:  [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/18 "2023-08-08T20:47:04Z")
Has a snootful
_/Barney Fife_
mmm
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/19 "2023-08-08T20:49:11Z")
When Ol’Granny was sippin’ on the sherry she always said she was _sick_
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### Author:  [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)
#### Post date: [August 8, 2023, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-synonyms-for-drunk-can-you-come-up-with-in-a-language-that-you-speak/988269/20 "2023-08-08T20:57:39Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#):
>
> Hmm, I don’t know! I was going to say it sounded German.
No, not German, I would have heard it. Of course Yiddish has lots of roots from German, and some Yiddish words made it back into High German, but “schnockered” is not one of them.
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