We commonly use the word “battered” to mean “drunk”, but do we really know what it means? When you are battered after a party, what are you really? How drunk does a person have to be to be called battered? Is there a remedy for feeling battered and hungover the next morning?
- Keep reading to find out more about this slang word for “drunk” and to get answers to these questions!
Where “Battered” Comes From
The history of the word “battered” is a long-standing word that came to our language about 900 years ago from its Latin base. English actually stole the word from French, which simply meant “to beat”. The word has been in our vocabulary since, but when it started to mean “drunk” is still unknown.
Why “Battered” to Mean Drunk?
So how did the word meaning “to beat” even become associated with drinking? There are a few theories of speculation on the matter. “Battered” could have been associated with “drunk” because a person looks like they were beaten up after imbibing too much of that unholy elixir. In that same vein, it could even have been used because drunk people used to get beat up and jackrolled in earlier days. It could also be in reference to a deep-fried beer batter, meaning that a person’s appearance, and perhaps the way they act, is completely changed once they are “dipped” into the alcohol’s influence. “Battered” may even refer to how you feel the next morning after consuming too much alcohol.
How Drunk is “Battered”?
When compared to other slang terms which mean “drunk”, batter is on the higher end of the spectrum. It may be up there with “three sheets to the wind” or even “hammered”, but it still isn’t nearly as bad as shit-faced. A light buzz wouldn’t likely be classified as “battered”, but a person who has had several shots within the last hour might be. As one Urban Dictionary contributor put it:
[Battered is] severe intoxication through alcohol consumption. Typically characterized by a total lack of inhibition often demonstrated through particularly foolish dancing. One step above steaming on the scale of drunkenness and one below the shell.
- So, if you were drunk enough last night to get up and sing karaoke at the bar, or if you remember some crazy dancing even though you weren’t in a dance club, you were probably battered.
When to Use “Battered”
The term “battered” is often used in many social circles to discuss the sobriety of friends at a party. It is usually only used in reference to oneself or in reference to a close-ish acquaintance to denote how drunk they are. It would actually be rather strange to use “battered” in a formal setting, considering the word itself is slang, and you wouldn’t normally use it for people you don’t know.
- The term has the connotation of being light-hearted and a little funny, feelings which are usually reserved for those people in our lives who don’t do well holding their liquor.
If You Are Feeling Battered
Despite where the word came from if you feel battered or beaten up after a night of drinking while in Key West, you are in luck. At Hangover Hospital, we come directly to you to relieve all of your hangover symptoms in less than an hour so you can enjoy your vacation and time in the sun.
CALL NOW: 305.912.4911