English Slang

[Rocky998]

I love it when Swamp People has subtitles.

I ain't needin' no substles.

 

[Colin_T]

I ain't needin' no substles.

What you talkin about Willis, I mean Rocky

 

[Back in the fold]

I resurrected this thread because I was watching Downton Abbey Sunday night and Lord Grantham dropped a funny one . He told the police that Thomas’s accuser , Alfred , was a bit “ squiffy “ on the night in question . I knew by the context that it meant drunk but just the odd sound of the word cracked me up ! This morning my cat was extra rambunctious and I asked him if he was squiffy . Are any of you squiffy today ?

 

[Essjay]

Squiffy is the stage before totally drunk, so still intoxicated but not falling over drunk

 

[Back in the fold]

Squiffy is the stage before totally drunk, so still intoxicated but not falling over drunk

Ah so . . . . in the U.S. they call that buzzed . I rather like the sound of squiffy better . So then , my cat was a bit squiffy !

 

[GaryE]

Catnip has destroyed many a young life - but it's iffy if the cat was squiffy. Hopefully, the cat wasn't obnoxicated?

 

[gwand]

You’re buzzed on marijuana. You’re tipsy on alcohol.

 

[JuiceBox52]

You’re buzzed on marijuana. You’re tipsy on alcohol.

I’ve always heard it as buzzed for alcohol, never heard the term used for

 

[GaryE]

I’ve always heard it as buzzed for alcohol, never heard the term used for

It's a generational shift. Buzzed is now used for alcohol around here, or for any early stages of 'squifficyation'. My elderly Uncle used to use "stoned" to describe drunkenness and by my generation, it had shifted meaning. "Dope" has also changed between generations. Slang dealing with drug use never stands still. Speaking as an ex High School teacher, the battle to confuse the older generation with slang is eternal. That's the linguistically boring side though. I like a good clever image like 'squiffy'. You can hear that one.