# This guy is drunk without drinking



## supermarioutd

Hello to all,

In my language, we have a saying that goes like this :

*This guy is drunk without drinking. He is high without sniffing! *

It means that a person is already a bit crazy and too happy without drinking or smoking. So they don't need to drink!
Is there a similar expression in English?

If I say that sentence will it be understood itself? 

*Don't let him drink tonight. This guy is drunk without drinking.*

We also say "automatic drunk" which means that dude is automatically drunk without having to drink


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## Magazine

Look, this is taken from a book: 

_He was listening to Arleta. “A king in a humble cloak he is, Lorito. *He is drunk without drinking *and rests without sleeping. _


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## lingobingo

I don’t think we have any such term in English. I can’t think of one, anyway.


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## bennymix

We do have the phrase  'dry drunk', but it suggests some state that wouldn't been necessarily characterized as pleasant.

From the days of ganja, there is the phrase 'contact high'--  it's what you get, the pleasant high from simply being with those who are high from the substance.


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## dojibear

supermarioutd said:


> *This guy is drunk without drinking. *


In English I might say a person "*acts* drunk" without drinking. But "*is *drunk" means "has alcohol in them".


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## supermarioutd

dojibear said:


> In English I might say a person "*acts* drunk" without drinking. But "*is *drunk" means "has alcohol in them".



It's not about acting or pretending. It's about some people who are slightly crazy and they don't need to drink to be drunk. 

They are drunk by default


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## ewie

The thing about _drunk_ in English is that it doesn't necessarily equate to being or acting 'crazy'.
Also: _crazy_ means different things to different people.


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## dojibear

supermarioutd said:


> It's not about acting or pretending. It's about some people who are slightly crazy and they don't need to drink to be drunk.



When I said "acting drunk" I didn't mean "pretending to be drunk". I meant "behaving like a drunk person".

In my English, "drunk" does not describe your actions. "Drunk" means you have alcohol in your bloodstream. That was what I meant by:



dojibear said:


> In English I might say a person "*acts* drunk" without drinking. But "*is *drunk" means "has alcohol in them".





supermarioutd said:


> they don't need to drink to be drunk


I disagree with this use of the word "drunk" to describe behavior.


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## london calling

Magazine said:


> Look, this is taken from a book:
> 
> _He was listening to Arleta. “A king in a humble cloak he is, Lorito. *He is drunk without drinking *and rests without sleeping. _


Here's the link to the book: Google Books. The author, Stephen Siciliano, is American. Personally I think this is poetic licence.


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## bennymix

He has a 'natural high' is what is said, regarding similar effects to recreational drugs.


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## supermarioutd

bennymix said:


> He has a 'natural high' is what is said, regarding similar effects to recreational drugs.



Is it a common idiom? :

*This guy is a bit crazy. He has a natural high. He is high without having to smoke. Do not give him any ganja tonight. *


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## bennymix

It is common.


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## supermarioutd

bennymix said:


> It is common.



Thankssssss
Does it have the connotation of that person being crazy? 

Does this work and is it perfectly natural? :

*This guy, Alex's cousin is a bit crazy. He has a natural high. He is high without having to smoke. Do not give him any ganja tonight at the party. *


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## Magazine

bennymix said:


> From the days of ganja,


May I ask what ganja means? thanks.


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## ewie

It's marijuana, Mag.

After reading this thread two seconds ago: _He's high on life: he doesn't need to smoke weed._


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## elroy

“High on life” was what first came to mind when I read the OP.  But for me, that refers to a constant state, not a specific event (in the linguistic sense of “event”), so I’m not sure it’ll meet supermario’s needs.


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## supermarioutd

elroy said:


> “High on life” was what first came to mind when I read the OP.  But for me, that refers to a constant state, not a specific event (in the linguistic sense of “event”), so I’m not sure it’ll meet supermario’s needs.



Actually I mean a guy who is constantly crazy!


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## supermarioutd

Guys do you think this works? :

*This guy, Alex's cousin is a bit crazy. He has a natural high. He is high without having to smoke. Do not give him any ganja tonight at the party. * 

or 

*This guy, Alex's cousin is a bit crazy. He is high on life. He is high without having to smoke. Do not give him any ganja tonight at the party. *


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## bennymix

Note:  There are hundreds of slang terms for marijuana;   pick one best for your location!   I just picked an oldie.


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## supermarioutd

bennymix said:


> Note:  There are hundreds of slang terms for marijuana;   pick one best for your location!   I just picked an oldie.



That is not the issue right now and not my question

What do you think about these:


*This guy, Alex's cousin is a bit crazy. He has a natural high. He is high without having to smoke. Do not give him any ganja tonight at the party. * 

or 

*This guy, Alex's cousin is a bit crazy. He is high on life. He is high without having to smoke. Do not give him any ganja tonight at the party. *


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## bennymix

We have been over this already.   Your underlines are OK.


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## supermarioutd

bennymix said:


> We have been over this already.   Your underlines are OK.



Thanksss a lot. 
It's just that I had never heard them in movies and I wanted to be 100% sure they are common and natural.


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## lingobingo

I wouldn’t class them as either common or natural. The short answer to the OP question is No – we don’t have such a saying in English.


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## bennymix

What is 'unnatural' about 'He is high on life.'?


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## lingobingo

Have you ever heard anyone actually use that phrase, in the flesh? I haven’t. Maybe it’s just me…


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## bennymix

Yes. 

*Roger Federer loves everything, he's just HIGH ON LIFE - Pundit ...*
https://www.express.co.uk › Sport › Tennis

Apr 4, 2019 - ROGER FEDERER is so overly positive that _he is 'high on life_', according to tennis pundit Catherine Whitaker.
================

*Your reaction to obstacles is what defines you – Maxim Dsouza ...*
https://medium.com/.../your-reaction-to-obstacles-is-what-defines-you-e509bec2dd9f

Nov 27, 2017 - Vince feels that _he is high on life_. Everyday he feels he is learning something new and growing as a person. If Pete(read P for Problems) and ..
=======
*Kris Kristofferson – Ramblin' Jack Lyrics | Genius Lyrics*

https://genius.com › K › Kris Kristofferson


I got a friend named Ramblin' Jack He's got a face like a tumbled down shack. That's been lived in too long to be torn down. _He's high on life_ and low on luck



===

Also, I think frequency is a bit different from 'naturalness.'   "There is an irate squirrel at my window" is very rare, but I'd hardly call the sentence 'unnatural.'


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## supermarioutd

bennymix said:


> Yes.
> 
> *Roger Federer loves everything, he's just HIGH ON LIFE - Pundit ...*
> https://www.express.co.uk › Sport › Tennis
> 
> Apr 4, 2019 - ROGER FEDERER is so overly positive that _he is 'high on life_', according to tennis pundit Catherine Whitaker.
> ================
> 
> *Your reaction to obstacles is what defines you – Maxim Dsouza ...*
> https://medium.com/.../your-reaction-to-obstacles-is-what-defines-you-e509bec2dd9f
> 
> Nov 27, 2017 - Vince feels that _he is high on life_. Everyday he feels he is learning something new and growing as a person. If Pete(read P for Problems) and ..
> =======
> *Kris Kristofferson – Ramblin' Jack Lyrics | Genius Lyrics*
> https://genius.com › K › Kris Kristofferson
> 
> 
> I got a friend named Ramblin' Jack He's got a face like a tumbled down shack. That's been lived in too long to be torn down. _He's high on life_ and low on luck
> 
> 
> 
> ===
> 
> Also, I think frequency is a bit different from 'naturalness.'   "There is an irate squirrel at my window" is very rare, but I'd hardly call the sentence 'unnatural.'



If it is said about Roger Federer then it can't have a negative connotation right? 

The expression we use in my language has a bit of a negative connotation. Means that person is high and crazy without having to smoke.


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## bennymix

I'm not sure we can match your language.


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## supermarioutd

bennymix said:


> I'm not sure we can match your language.


What about "he has a natural high" ? 

Does that mean he is slightly crazy?


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## bennymix

I think our closest is "He naturally crazy {or _crazed_}."


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## ain'ttranslationfun?

"He's already f*cked up." ?


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## supermarioutd

bennymix said:


> I think our closest is "He naturally crazy {or _crazed_}."



Can you tell me please the meaning of this?:

he has a natural high


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## Hermione Golightly

I think you should drop this 'natural high' business. Just say 'he's crazy enough as it is'


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## ain'ttranslationfun?

Hermione Golightly said:


> I think you should drop this 'natural high' business. Just say 'he's crazy enough as it is'


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## bennymix

ain'ttranslationfun? said:


>



Agreed.


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## supermarioutd

bennymix said:


> Agreed.



Natural high was your own suggestion Benny


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## bennymix

supermarioutd said:


> Natural high was your own suggestion Benny



The discussion is ongoing, exploring overlapping concepts.   You have refined statements about what you're after.


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## Packard

lingobingo said:


> I don’t think we have any such term in English. I can’t think of one, anyway.


"He was high on the sweet elixir of life and he felt forever young." 

I can't think of one either.


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## bennymix

He's a crazy-ass mo-fo without a drink.  Let's hope he doesn't touch a drop!


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## ewie

He's a skunk-drunk punk – don' need no junk.


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## Magazine

bennymix said:


> He's a crazy-ass mo-fo without a drink.  Let's hope he doesn't touch a drop!





ewie said:


> He's a skunk-drunk punk – don' need no junk.




No *high* anywhere, ladies, pay attention!


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## bennymix

Magazine said:


> No *high* anywhere, ladies, pay attention!



Note that when I introduced the term 'high' as possibly relevant (post #10), I said,   He has a 'natural high' is what is said, regarding similar effects to recreational drugs. 
----


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## You little ripper!

bennymix said:


> Yes.
> 
> *Roger Federer loves everything, he's just HIGH ON LIFE - Pundit ...*
> https://www.express.co.uk › Sport › Tennis
> 
> Apr 4, 2019 - ROGER FEDERER is so overly positive that _he is 'high on life_', according to tennis pundit Catherine Whitaker.
> ================
> 
> *Your reaction to obstacles is what defines you – Maxim Dsouza ...*
> https://medium.com/.../your-reaction-to-obstacles-is-what-defines-you-e509bec2dd9f
> 
> Nov 27, 2017 - Vince feels that _he is high on life_. Everyday he feels he is learning something new and growing as a person. If Pete(read P for Problems) and ..
> =======
> *Kris Kristofferson – Ramblin' Jack Lyrics | Genius Lyrics*
> https://genius.com › K › Kris Kristofferson
> 
> 
> I got a friend named Ramblin' Jack He's got a face like a tumbled down shack. That's been lived in too long to be torn down. _He's high on life_ and low on luck
> 
> 
> 
> ===
> 
> Also, I think frequency is a bit different from 'naturalness.'   "There is an irate squirrel at my window" is very rare, but I'd hardly call the sentence 'unnatural.'





Thomas Tompion said:


> In my part of Southern England the current Brexiteers are often old-fashioned Tory voters.  I was trying, probably foolishly, to isolate a socio-economic group.
> 
> The fact is that 'How do you do' is the standard greeting among the British upper-middle classes when they are introduced to someone.  It's not a question, as has been explained.



_S/He is high on life! _is quite common in Australia.


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## supermarioutd

ewie said:


> He's a skunk-drunk punk – don' need no junk.



Cracked me up good. 

Did you make it up? 

Is there a website where I can find stuff like this?


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## ewie

Yes I made it up, though _drunk as a skunk_ isn't original.


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## supermarioutd

ewie said:


> Yes I made it up, though _drunk as a skunk_ isn't original.



Good job


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