He's in his cups

Posted by David FG on March 28, 2007

In Reply to: He's in his cups posted by RRC on March 27, 2007

: : : The phrase is "he's in his cups/" I think it means he's drunk and may have an Irish connection. I would like to know it's origin.

: :
: : It's Biblical, I think. It does indeed mean drunk, but I am unaware of its being particularly Irish.

: : DFG

: It's not in KJV, but one reference says it goes back to the 1400's. Perhaps someone has an OED handy?

A quick Google search brought up this (from this very site):

IN HIS CUPS - "Drunk. Long ago the phrase meant both drunk and participating in a drunken bout. It appears in one of the Apocyrphal books of the Bible (I Esdras 3:22): 'And when they are in their cups, they forget their loue(love) both to friends and brethren.' The Romans had similar expressions, such as Cicero's 'in thy cups, in the midst of thy revels' (in ipsis tuis immanibus poculis), suggesting the great age of the association of 'cup' (poculum) and 'carousal.'" The Dictionary of Cliches by James Rogers (Ballantine Books, New York, 1985).

So it won't appear in the KJV.

DFG

• He's in his cups RRC 30/March/07
  • He's in his cups Lewis 05/April/07