ppl. adj. (common).—1. Drunk. [HOTTEN: ‘possibly from soaking or pickling oneself like salt-beef.’ BARRÈRE: ‘almost beyond doubt … an Americanism from CORN, a very common name for whisky.’ Both are wrong; the verb ‘to corn’ is a common provincialism and Scotticism signifying ‘to be drunk.’] For synonyms, see SCREWED.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.
1808. JAMIESON, An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language. The lads are weel CORNED.
1835. HALIBURTON (‘Sam Slick’), The Clockmaker, p. 257 (ed. 1862). ‘I was pretty well CORNED thet arternoon, but still I knew what I was about.’
2. (sailors’).—Pleased.
