Tired and emotional

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Tired and emotional" is a chiefly British/Irish euphemism for "drunk". It was popularised by the British satirical magazine Private Eye in 1967 after being used in a spoof diplomatic memo to describe the state of Labour Cabinet minister George Brown, but is now used as a stock phrase; British slander and libel law makes it unwise ever to directly refer to someone as being drunk unless it has been scientifically proven (e.g. through a breathalyzer test). The use of the phrase has extended well beyond the magazine.

Private Eye noted with some glee in 2006 that the phrase had been used by the British Establishment once again after an incident involving Prince Harry was reported in The Sun newspaper. A "senior Clarence House source" was quoted as saying that Harry was "fired up. He'd been drinking and was tired and emotional."

[edit] Eamonn Dunphy & Apres Match

In the summer 2002, Eamonn Dunphy, the colourful broadcaster and pundit who was working for RTE, Ireland's state broadcaster was sent home when he arrived to go on air clearly drunk and incapable of performing his duties. It was to become known as his "Tired and Emotional" episode and was the inspirational title for the subsequent spoof Apres Match DVD, which famously lampoons Dunphy and his colleagues, John Giles, Liam Brady and Bill O'Herlihy.

[edit] Coronation Street

On 2006-10-16, Coronation Street character Sean Tully (played by Antony Cotton) referred to his boss, Rovers Return manageress Bev Unwin (Susie Blake) as being "tired and emotional" after she had been drinking heavily following the death of her husband to be Fred Elliott (John Savident).

Also the name of a phenomenally successful early album by Irish housewife turned folk and blues singer Mary Coughlan in 1985.

[edit] References