tosspot

A man is known as a tosspot in the local tavern.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A habitual drunkard: "tosspot" refers to a person who drinks alcohol to excess on a regular basis. This is a derogatory or humorous term, often used to describe someone who is frequently drunk.

Usage Examples

• (A person who drinks heavily and often.)
• (A derogatory description of someone drinking too much.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be a tosspot": to be a heavy drinker or alcoholic.
  • Don't be such a tosspot; you need to cut down on the beer. (A direct, informal warning against excessive drinking.)

Variants and Related Words

• Toss (verb): to throw lightly or casually; also, to drink quickly (archaic).
  • He tossed back his drink and ordered another. (He drank it quickly.)
• Pot (noun): a container; in "tosspot", it likely refers to a drinking vessel (e.g., a pot of ale).

Synonyms

• Drunkard: a person who is often drunk.
• Alcoholic: a person with a dependency on alcohol.
• Souse (informal): a drunkard.
• Lush (slang): a heavy drinker.

Related Idioms

• "On the sauce": drinking alcohol heavily (informal).

  • He's been on the sauce again — that tosspot never learns. (He's been drinking excessively.)

• "Three sheets to the wind": very drunk (nautical idiom).

  • By midnight, the tosspot was three sheets to the wind. (He was extremely intoxicated.)

Etymology (for interest)

• The word "tosspot" dates from the 16th–17th centuries, combining "toss" (to throw or drink quickly) and "pot" (a drinking vessel). It originally referred to someone who "tossed" or drank their pot of ale in one go, implying a habit of heavy drinking.