"tie one off" meaning

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Despite the phrases' prepositions being the opposite of each other, "tie one off" seems to be synonymous with "tie one on," which the Urban Dictionary defines as:

  • To get drunk or start drinking before the hang over from last night has worn off.

    Thus having something to "tie onto"

    To tie one drinking session to another before the effects/consequences of the last have expired.
And while we're quoting, did you know the phrase "tired and emotional" is euphemistic for "drunk"?
"Tired and emotional" is a chiefly British, Irish or Australian euphemism for "drunk". It was popularised by the British satirical magazine Private Eye in 1967 after being used in a spoof diplomatic memo to describe the state of Labour Cabinet minister George Brown, but is now used as a stock phrase: British slander and libel law makes it unwise ever to directly refer to someone as being drunk unless it has been scientifically proven (e.g. through a breathalyser test). The Guardian describes it as having joined the "phrases that are part of every journalist's vocabulary". Because of this widespread interpretation, one source cautions professional British journalists against its use as "even if the journalist ... meant it literally", it could be considered defamatory.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually it means you're shooting smack. Completely different reference. If you hear it used to refer to alcohol poisoning, then it's being misused.

Unknown said...

I think it can be used for both, if you know about using a belt to shoot up, then I'm sure it's used in that Context. If it's used in reference to drinking, or if no one around you uses heroin/dope, then I'm sure it's used in reference to drinking. It's all semantics and context. It's slang, therefor, there's not really a proper use or misuse.

Unknown said...

I think it can be used for both, if you know about using a belt to shoot up, then I'm sure it's used in that Context. If it's used in reference to drinking, or if no one around you uses heroin/dope, then I'm sure it's used in reference to drinking. It's all semantics and context. It's slang, therefor, there's not really a proper use or misuse.