# Why the different meanings for "Pissed" in the US and UK?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 7, 2004, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838 "2004-04-07T23:10:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2004, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/1 "2004-04-07T23:10:50Z")
If this doesn’t have a factual answer I apologise for putting it here. But I am sure it must.
UK: Pissed: Anebriated.
US: Pissed: Angry.
Why?
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### Author:  [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2004, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/2 "2004-04-08T00:52:53Z")
Australia:
Pissed = Drunk as a skunk.
Pissed Off = Angry.
Possibly the US version is a contraction of pissed off?
I know that’s an opinion, but hey it’s possible.
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### Author:  [@St\_Ides](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St_Ides)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2004, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/3 "2004-04-08T00:58:20Z")
Canada:
Pissed: Angry
Pissed: Drunk
Pissed: Drunk and angry.
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### Author:  [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2004, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/4 "2004-04-08T01:01:00Z")
Why? Because they’re different countries with different cultures and different histories.
I beleive it’s a real (not just attributed) quote by Winston Churchill that Britain and the US are two countries separated by a common language.
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### Author:  [@LolaBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaBaby)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2004, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/5 "2004-04-08T01:10:49Z")
Just like “fanny”.
I was quite surprised when I found out what the UK version of “fanny” meant.
It gave a whole new meaning to the term “fanny pack”. :eek:
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### Author:  [@ZombiesAteMyBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZombiesAteMyBrain)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2004, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/6 "2004-04-08T01:15:25Z")
> [@St\_Ides](#):
>
> Canada:
> Pissed: Angry
> Pissed: Drunk
> Pissed: Drunk and angry.
Northern Ireland
Pissed - Angry
Pissed - Drunk
Pissing - urinating
Pissing - raining heavily
Passion - raining heavily in Ballymena
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### Author:  [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2004, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/7 "2004-04-08T01:22:47Z")
It’s probably a contraction of pissed off. In the US:
Pissed = angry
Pissed off = angry
Pissing = urinating
Pissing someone off = making someone angry
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### Author:  [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2004, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/8 "2004-04-08T02:03:24Z")
Pissah: Wickid awesome, Boston
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### Author:  [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2004, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/9 "2004-04-08T02:04:09Z")
Maybe it’s because some people get pissed when they’re pissed, and others get pissed when they’re pissed.
I’l leave now.
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### Author:  [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2004, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/10 "2004-04-08T02:05:21Z")
Maybe the US just has a high proportion of angry drunks?
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### Author:  [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2004, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/11 "2004-04-08T02:19:54Z")
> [@](#):
>
> I beleive it’s a real (not just attributed) quote by Winston Churchill that Britain and the US are two countries separated by a common language.
I always thought that was George Bernard Shaw.
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### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/12 "2004-04-08T02:24:02Z")
> **[Penguin Random House](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com?date=19991104)**
>
> Committed to publishing great books, connecting readers and authors globally, and spreading the love of reading.
NOthing conclusive, but it should help you.
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### Author:  [@larsenmtl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/larsenmtl)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2004, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/13 "2004-04-08T15:23:58Z")
Back in college (in the States) I used to hang out with a bunch of english people. My favorite:
Taking the Piss --\> To goof on a friend and deflate their ego
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### Author:  [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2004, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/14 "2004-04-08T16:47:24Z")
> [@Martha](#):
>
> I always thought that was George Bernard Shaw.
Sigh. Possibly it’s neither Shaw nor Churchill. See the discussion [here](http://www.electriceditors.net/edline/vol7/7-164.txt).
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### Author:  [@Lobelia\_Overhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobelia_Overhill)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2004, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/15 "2004-04-08T21:24:21Z")
> [@LolaBaby](#):
>
> Just like “fanny”.
> I was quite surprised when I found out what the UK\* version of “fanny” meant.
> It gave a whole new meaning to the term “fanny pack”. :eek:
(\*Ireland too)
Yes indeed, and I found it rather horrifying to hear a parent threaten to paddle their child’s fanny … :eek: :eek:
'round these here parts you can:
get pissed
be pissed off
take the piss
go on the piss
piss off
piss yourself
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### Author:  [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/16 "2004-04-08T21:57:40Z")
> [@ZombiesAteMyBrain](#):
>
> Northern Ireland
> Pissed - Angry
> Pissed - Drunk
> Pissing - urinating
> Pissing - raining heavily
> Passion - raining heavily in Ballymena
LOL! 😃 Good stuff.
This is the sort of stuff we advise Northern Irish students about before they go on a placement to the US. I heard a tale about an NI student who told his room mate that he had gone out and got “pissed but it was great craic.” And his room mate tried to throw him out of their room because he thought he meant he was angry because he was using cocaine, instead of which our student meant that he was quite drunk but it was all good fun 🙂
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### Author:  [@coop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coop)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2004, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/17 "2004-04-08T23:50:46Z")
I got so pissed last night and my bladder was so full that I nearly pissed my pants - and that would have pissed me off royaly…
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### Author:  [@ZombiesAteMyBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZombiesAteMyBrain)
#### Post date: [April 9, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/18 "2004-04-09T00:29:03Z")
> [@Pushkin](#):
>
> LOL! 😃 Good stuff.
>
> This is the sort of stuff we advise Northern Irish students about before they go on a placement to the US. I heard a tale about an NI student who told his room mate that he had gone out and got “pissed but it was great craic.” And his room mate tried to throw him out of their room because he thought he meant he was angry because he was using cocaine, instead of which our student meant that he was quite drunk but it was all good fun 🙂
No-one quite speaks English like Norn Iron folks!!!
Nice to see another Belfast doper, Pushkin 🆒
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### Author:  [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/19 "2004-04-10T02:13:11Z")
I wonder what UK folks think the first time they run into a Frances who goes by the common US nickname for same…
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### Author:  [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)
#### Post date: [April 10, 2004, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-different-meanings-for-pissed-in-the-us-and-uk/238838/20 "2004-04-10T02:32:27Z")
> [@LolaBaby](#):
>
> Just like “fanny”.
>
> I was quite surprised when I found out what the UK version of “fanny” meant.
>
> It gave a whole new meaning to the term “fanny pack”. :eek:
And the answer is…? 😕
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