"3 Sheets to the Wind" - Episode 2 of the, "History of Everyday Sayings" Podcast

Summary:

Learn the origin of the phrase, "3 Sheets to the Wind".

- "3 Sheets to the Wind" is a nautical term originating in England during the early 1800s.

- A sheet is a rope or sometimes a chain holding a sail in place. Contrary to popular belief, a sheet does not refer to the sail itself.

- If the sail isn't held properly by the sheets, the ship becomes impossible to steer in rough weather.

- The movements of a drunken sailor mirror the movements of a ship whose sails are not properly secured by the sheets.

Few people know the origins of this often used phrase, but you can now count yourself among the tiny minority of people who do.

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If you would like to comment on this or any other episode, email me at [email protected].

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References:

“The Phrase Finder”. https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/three-sheets-to-the-wind.html.

Dictionary.com. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/three--sheets--to--the--wind

Word Histories. https://wordhistories.net/2018/07/25/sheets-wind-drunk/

World Wide Words. http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-thr1.htm

“Drunken Sailor - Irish Rovers - Lyrics”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_RWtdm81WU

Microphone: AT2005