'he's a drunk!'

[Booldawg]

Last night my wife was talking about a friends ex who was abusive to her. She said 'and he's a drunk'.

It got me thinking - what is a drunk? Is it the same as an alcoholic or someone who likes to get drunk a bit more often than the national average? (whatever that is)

[ummmm]

I always think of it as someone whose nasty side comes out when they're drunk.

My OH likes his beers but it usually either makes him a) Funny...b) Soppy....c) Sleepy

[didoatwork]

IMO a drunk is someone who behaves badly while under the influence. Not necessarily an alcoholic.

[Ankou]

well those two tie in neatly with the op, clue in "abusive".

i would suggest that it can mean that, but it can also mean someone who is virtually useless, a sort of couch potato layabout due to inebriation (no prsoepcts, no get jup anf go). not necessarily violent or alcolholic, perhaps just plain useless.

[Ankou]

you can tell its friday, just by my spelling.

apologies all round, drinks on me. doh!

[jno]

I don't think drinking more than average is eough; you actually have to get drunk, hence the words (it's not the same as 'he's a drinker'). It usually means someone who shows what the speaker thinks are the bad effects of drunkenness:violence or inertia. Just indulging in sparkling conversation and pulling ugly women/men isn't enough.

[ummmm]

Some people get drunk very very easily....

Others appear to have hollow legs...

[RATTER15]

Im with Ankou on this,

"virtually useless, a sort of couch potato layabout due to inebriation (no prospects, no get up and go). not necessarily violent or alcoholic, perhaps just plain useless."

[ummmm]

I disagree...

I've met plenty of 'drunks' who are not useless. They are just not nice drunks.

[RATTER15]

ummmm, this is why the question is being asked, to find out what different people idea of a drunk is, my idea of a Drunk is the same as Ankou.

[ummmm]

That's okay Ratter :-)

I understand what Ankou is saying, and you, I've just had lot's of experience of drunk people...

[Booldawg]

I guess 'drunk' is short for drunkard. But as jno says, sometime people are referred to as a 'drinker' So behaviour seems to be the key difference?

[ummmm]

I think it's behaviour Boold.

[Meg888]

IMO a drunk would be someone who likes a drink regularly, but doesn't necessarily 'need it' i.e. they don't start as soon as they wake up. In addition to this, I would also class a 'drunk' as someone who gets aggressive, domineering or uses the drink to get a false sense of confidence, which usually only portrays them as unsavoury to those around them. I've met plenty I would consider a drunk, a few closer to me than I'd like to admit, and I still avoid their company in drink where I can. This sort of drunk is the worst kind as I'm sure a lot of them do things and say things under the influence which they don't mean or would never do sober. Can be life destroying for those on the receiving end sadly.

[cazzz1975]

In my opinion a drunk is a person who is habitually drunk

[Meg888]

And - someone who can't drink without getting drunk

[cazzz1975]

getting drunk is a poor indicator of an alcohol problem, a non drinker may easily get drunk on a glass of wine, a lot of serious alcoholics rarely ever appear drunk, I know someone who died of cirrosis due to alcoholism, his workmates had no idea he was an alcoholic.

[ummmm]

My accountant was an alcoholic....I went to stay with him and he had a mug of straight brandy for brekkie...

Lovely lovely man though.

[keyplus90]

I believe it has nothing to do with "how much" alcohol someone has taken. But for me a drunk is a person who behaves differently than he would have done had he not drunk alcohol. Most of the time it is bad behaviour as I still have to see someone doing otherwise. I mean behaving nicely once drunk.

[China Doll]

For me a drunk is someone who I see more often drunk than I see sober.

[sandyRoe]

I'd say the drunk she was talking about was a thug who managed to keep his abusive behaviour under control while sober.