Post by Chicago Jake on Sept 13, 2009 7:02:45 GMT -6
This was a phrase I never quite understood. Long ago, there was an Elvis Costello song ("Whisper to a Scream") where he uses the phrase: "the one over the eight seems less like one and more like four." I had no idea what that meant!
Then, the other day, I was reading an Agatha Christie book, and she describes somebody as "one over the eight." From the context, I presumed she was saying he was drunk. So I did a little search and found this:
www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/271100.html
They claim it is British slang for "had one too many" drinks. Apparently, the thought was that eight beers was safe, any more than that was too much.
Maybe Simon can fill us in on this. Is this the correct interpretation? I'd believe it, except that eight beers is considered safe? Certainly some people can drink eight beers and escape unscathed, but I should think most people would be quite incapacitated long before they got to eight! Or is the average Limey that good at holding his draughts?
Then, the other day, I was reading an Agatha Christie book, and she describes somebody as "one over the eight." From the context, I presumed she was saying he was drunk. So I did a little search and found this:
www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/271100.html
They claim it is British slang for "had one too many" drinks. Apparently, the thought was that eight beers was safe, any more than that was too much.
Maybe Simon can fill us in on this. Is this the correct interpretation? I'd believe it, except that eight beers is considered safe? Certainly some people can drink eight beers and escape unscathed, but I should think most people would be quite incapacitated long before they got to eight! Or is the average Limey that good at holding his draughts?
