In my current book, I have a character who is a little fonder than is prudent of the grape. So I put together a list of period phrases for someone of his character:
Toper – a hard drinker or alcoholic, 1665-75
Tosspot – a tippler, drunkard, 1560-70
Sot – drunkard, before 1000
Swillpot – before 1748
Lushy – drunk, tipsy, 1805
‘Making indentures on’ was imbibing
In addition to inebriated, intoxicated, tipsy, sodden, here are some other Regency words for being drunk:
in one’s cups
befuddled
cupshot
bosky
foxed
properly shot in the neck
top-hackled/top-heavy
overtaken
in his altitudes
To be a trifle disguised was to be slightly drunk.
Half-sprung meant the same thing.
Chirping merry was to be exalted with liquor.
‘Strip-me-naked’ and ‘Stark naked’ were both names for gin.
And to be hung over was to have the devil of a head.
Maggie MacKeever, Novelist 