Tight as a Tick {Intoxicated}
Intoxicated. Presumably, the analogy here is to a tick engorged with blood (since ticks feed on warm-blooded animals). Tight has long been a colloquial term for “drunk,” and “tight as a tick,” an Americanism enhanced by alliteration, dates from the mid-nineteenth century. Anthony Price combined two synonymous clichés in Soldier No More (1981): “He was drunk as a lord… tight as a tick.”
Related and Similar Terms:
- Three sheets to the wind: Completely drunk. From nautical terminology where a sheet is a rope controlling a sail; with three loose, the boat would be out of control.
- In his cups: To be intoxicated, derived from the phrase “in one’s cups” which dates back to Shakespearean times.
- Blitzed: To be extremely drunk, analogous to being overwhelmed.
Idioms / Common Phrases:
- Having one too many: Drinking more alcohol than is sensible.
- Pissed as a newt: British slang for very drunk.
- Hammered: Another colloquial term for being very drunk.
Synonyms:
- Inebriated
- Plastered
- Soused
- Boozy
Antonyms:
- Sober
- Clear-headed
- Abstinent
Humor-filled Quotes:
- “Alcohol, taken in sufficient quantities, may produce all the effects of drunkenness.” — Oscar Wilde
- “I’m not an alcoholic. Alcoholics need an intervention, I already have a beach house.” — Anonymous
Proverbs:
- “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” — Proverbs 20:1
- “Drunkenness is nothing but voluntary madness.” — Seneca
Suggested Literature, Songs:
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (abundant references to the revelry of the Roaring Twenties).
- Drunk by Ed Sheeran (a song lyrically capturing a night of inebriation).
- “Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats (although more somber, it begins with a reflection on “a draught of vintage”).
### Which of these phrases means to be drunk?
- [ ] Converse with dolphins
- [ ] Paint a zebra purple
- [x] Three sheets to the wind
- [ ] Marinate the sunset
> **Explanation:** "Three sheets to the wind" is an idiom meaning to be thoroughly drunk. The others? Pure imagination run wild.
### True or False: ‘Pissed as a newt’ is British slang for very drunk
- [x] True
- [ ] False
> **Explanation:** True! This colorful British expression captures the notion of being extremely intoxicated with a touch of whimsy.
### Which of these is synonymous with being drunk?
- [x] Plastered
- [ ] Tied to a cactus
- [ ] Eating sunshine
- [ ] Swimming with stars
> **Explanation:** "Plastered" is a common slang for being drunk. The other options might make for interesting lyrics but aren't idioms.
### Complete the Phrase: ‘Tight as a ___’
- [ ] Kite
- [ ] Kite
- [x] Tick
- [ ] Truck
> **Explanation:** "Tight as a tick" is the correct completion. It refers to being very intoxicated, just as a tick becomes engorged with blood.
Farewell, dear reader! May your journey with words be enlightening, your expressions ever-evolving, and your laughter abundant. Until next time, keep playing with the limitless lexicon of our world.
- S. A. Sloshedup
