three sheets in the wind
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Unsteady from drink.—Sea.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “three sheets in the wind” mean?
Unsteady from drink.—Sea.
Is “three sheets in the wind” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.