adv. phr. (colloquial).—Loosely applied to various degrees of inebriety. Formerly = half way on one’s course, or towards attainment. For synonyms, see SCREWED.
[In its specific sense Gifford says, “a corruption of the Dutch op-zee zober, ‘over-sea beer,’ a strong heady beverage intoduced into Holland from England.” ‘Up-zee Freese’ is Friezeland beer. The German zauber means ‘strong beer’ and ‘bewitchment.’ Thus (1610) in JONSON, The Alchemist, iv., 4. ‘I do not like the dulness of your eye; It hath a heavy cast, ’tis UPSEE DUTCH.’ Other nautical terms = drunk are WATER-LOGGED; SPRUNG; SLEWED; WITH ONE’S JIB WELL BOWSED; THREE SHEETS IN THE WIND; CHANNELS UNDER, but see DRINKS and SCREWED.]
1692. DRYDEN, Cleomenes, v. 2. I am HALF SEAS O’ER to death.
c. 1696. B. E., A New Dictionary of the Canting Crew, s.v. HALF-SEAS OVER, almost Drunk.
1697. VANBRUGH, The Relapse, iii., 3. Good; that’s thinking HALF-SEAS OVER. One tide more brings us into port.
1714. Spectator, No. 616. The whole magistracy was pretty well disguised before I gave them the slip. Our friend the alderman was HALF-SEAS OVER before the bonfire was out.
1738. SWIFT, Polite Conversation, Dial. 1. You must own you had a drop in your eye; when I left you, you were HALF-SEAS OVER.
1751. SMOLLETT, Peregrine Pickle, ch. ix. Who, by this time, had entered into all the jollity of his new friends, and was indeed more than HALF-SEAS-OVER.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v.
1829. BUCKSTONE, Billy Taylor, i., 1.
| The public-houses will not close till morn, | |
| And wine and spirituous liquors are so cheap | |
| That we can all get nicely HALF SEAS OVER, | |
| And see no sea at all—come. |
1839. W. H. AINSWORTH, Jack Sheppard [1889], p. 40. Mr. Smith, now being more than HALF-SEAS OVER, became very uproarious.
1849. THACKERAY, Pendennis, ch. xxx. It’s pay-day with the General … and he’s a precious deal more than HALF-SEAS OVER.
1866. G. ELIOT, Felix Holt, ch. xxviii. There’s truth in wine, and there may be some in gin and muddy beer…. I’ve got plenty of truth in my time out of men who were HALF-SEAS-OVER, but never any that was worth a sixpence to me.
1890. Globe, 16 April, p. 2, c. 1. The familiar phrase HALF-SEAS OVER, for example, is wanting, and for this we appear to be indebted to the Dutch.
1892. The Cosmopolitan, Oct., p. 724. The fellow HALF-SEAS-OVER everyone excuses.
