Etymology[edit]
Derived from sailing ships. The 'sheet' in the phrase uses the nautical meaning of a rope that controls the trim of sail. If a sheet is loose, the sail flaps and doesn't provide control for the ship. Having several sheets loose ("to the wind") could cause the ship to rock about drunkenly.
Adjective[edit]
four sheets to the wind (not comparable)
(idiomatic) Extremely drunk [quotations ▼]
Synonyms[edit]
three sheets to the wind
Etymology[edit]
Derived from sailing ships. The 'sheet' in the phrase uses the nautical meaning of a rope that controls the trim of sail. If a sheet is loose, the sail flaps and doesn't provide control for the ship. Having several sheets loose ("to the wind") could cause the ship to rock about drunkenly.
Adjective[edit]
four sheets to the wind (not comparable)
(idiomatic) Extremely drunk [quotations ▼]
Synonyms[edit]
three sheets to the wind
@daveydk its both. When your sailing ship is four sheets to the wind you\'ve been so preoccupied with other things that your sails are All over the place; the ship is in danger of foundering. Being very drunk means you\'ve lost your capacity for self navigation and disaster may soon follow.
@daveydk its both. When your sailing ship is four sheets to the wind you\'ve been so preoccupied with other things that your sails are All over the place; the ship is in danger of foundering. Being very drunk means you\'ve lost your capacity for self navigation and disaster may soon follow.
Oh, and stephoney13, Four Sheets to the Wind is slang for being very, very drunk. Nothing to do with boats.
daveydk FYI
daveydk FYI
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/four_sheets_to_the_wind
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/four_sheets_to_the_wind
Etymology[edit] Derived from sailing ships. The 'sheet' in the phrase uses the nautical meaning of a rope that controls the trim of sail. If a sheet is loose, the sail flaps and doesn't provide control for the ship. Having several sheets loose ("to the wind") could cause the ship to rock about drunkenly. Adjective[edit] four sheets to the wind (not comparable) (idiomatic) Extremely drunk [quotations ▼] Synonyms[edit] three sheets to the wind
Etymology[edit] Derived from sailing ships. The 'sheet' in the phrase uses the nautical meaning of a rope that controls the trim of sail. If a sheet is loose, the sail flaps and doesn't provide control for the ship. Having several sheets loose ("to the wind") could cause the ship to rock about drunkenly. Adjective[edit] four sheets to the wind (not comparable) (idiomatic) Extremely drunk [quotations ▼] Synonyms[edit] three sheets to the wind
@daveydk its both. When your sailing ship is four sheets to the wind you\'ve been so preoccupied with other things that your sails are All over the place; the ship is in danger of foundering. Being very drunk means you\'ve lost your capacity for self navigation and disaster may soon follow.
@daveydk its both. When your sailing ship is four sheets to the wind you\'ve been so preoccupied with other things that your sails are All over the place; the ship is in danger of foundering. Being very drunk means you\'ve lost your capacity for self navigation and disaster may soon follow.