Photo credit: topmy.com
Yesterday I went to Florence and the Machine’s gig in Coventry and guess what, I heard a new expression. Florence was saying that they had been prematurely celebrating the end of the tour and therefore were feeling worse for wear on that day. I made a mental note of it and at home checked the meaning.
This informal expression can mean 1) old or damaged, 2) injured, or, simply 3) drunk.
Let’s have a look at some examples of how it can be used:
– He came back slightly the worse for wear after a night out (MacMillan Dictionary).
– Fred had a little accident with his bike and he’s the worse for wear (The Free Dictionary).
– A drunk man wearing just his underwear sparked a coastguard search during the early hours after leaving his clothes and boots on Weymouth beach in Dorset. Police found the man “a little worse for wear” at about 05:00 BST (BBC).
– Gareth Calway turned 50 this year and wasn’t afraid to shout about it. Most people would throw a party and feel a little worse for wear the morning after, but as a showman Gareth decided his birthday celebrations should be shared with most of the UK (BBC).
Confessions of the Linguistic Spy 