1.Extremely intoxicated. The first expression,known since the seventeenth century and considered a proverb by 1651 (“The proverb goes ‘As drunk as a lord,’ ” John Evelyn,A Character of England),is based on the idea that the aristocracy could and did indulge in drunkenness more than commoners did,presumably because they could afford to. The more recent drunk as a skunk,American in origin,undoubtedly became popular on account of its rhyme; it dates from the early 1900s. Both clichés have survived the demise of numerous other similes,among them drunk as an ape (from Chaucer’s time),tinker,fish,goat,owl,emperor,piper,fiddler (because he was plied with alcohol at wakes,fairs,and similar feasts),swine or pig,devil,beggar,blazes,David’s sow (based on an ancient anecdote explained in Francis Grose’s Classical Dictionary,and current from the seventeenth century),and others. See also drink like a fish; tight as a tick.

醉醺醺的状态。第一个表达“烂醉如泥”自17世纪起便为人所知，并在1651年被视作谚语（“谚语说‘烂醉如泥的贵族’”，约翰·伊夫林，《英格兰性格》），其基础观念是贵族比平民更易且更常沉溺于醉酒，大概因为他们负担得起。较新的“醉得像只臭鼬”源于美国，无疑因其押韵而流行；它始于20世纪初。这两个陈词滥调在无数其他明喻消失后依然幸存，这些明喻包括“醉得像只猿猴”（源自乔叟时代）、“醉得像补锅匠”、“醉得像条鱼”、“醉得像只山羊”、“醉得像只猫头鹰”、“醉得像皇帝”、“醉得像吹笛人”、“醉得像小提琴手”（因他在守灵、集市及类似宴会上被灌酒）、“醉得像猪或猪猡”、“醉得像魔鬼”、“醉得像乞丐”、“醉得像地狱之火”、“醉得像大卫的母猪”（基于弗朗西斯·格罗斯《古典词典》中解释的古老轶事，自17世纪流传至今）等。另见“像鱼一样狂饮”；“像虱子一样紧绷”。