Dear andrewbeebe,
Here is information on the origin od the expression "three sheets to the wind":
"THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND ? ?Sails are controlled with ropes called
?sheets? and the most any sail has is two ? a lee side sheet and a
weather sheet. The sailor?s contention is that if a man who had been
drinking was given as many as ?three? sheets he could still not steady
or control himself on a regular course. An alternative idea is that of
a ship caught with three (jib) sheets in the wind as she goes from one
tack to the other. The sails would flap and the ship would wallow and
stagger in the locomotion of a drunk.? From ?Salty Dog Talk: The
Nautical Origins of Everyday Expressions? by Bill Beavis and Richard
G. McCloskey (Sheridan House, Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., 1995. First published
in Great Britain, 1983)."
Source:
"Re: three sheets to the wind" Online posting (January 28, 2001) by
ESC in The Phrase Finder Discussion Forum.
http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/bulletin_board/16/messages/720.html
Search terms used:
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Hope this answers your question!
Best regards,
Scriptor |