Tired and emotional
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"Tired and emotional" is a chiefly British, Irish or Australian 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,[1] 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 breathalyser test). The Guardian describes it as having joined the "phrases that are part of every journalist's vocabulary".[2] Because of this widespread interpretation, one source cautions professional British journalists against its use as "even if the journalist ... meant it literally", it could be considered defamatory.[3]
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[edit] Origin
According to an urban legend, Brown appeared on the BBC following the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, and a BBC presenter subsequently described him as "tired and emotional".[1] In reality, Brown appeared only on ITV, and although he was criticized for his apparent intoxication[4], no evidence of the phrase being broadcast has been found.[1]
It is also said to have its origin in a statement to the Press by Brown's agent, Edward Eldred, who made excuses for him after he had behaved badly in public by saying that he was "tired and emotional".
The phrase became associated with Brown, who already had a reputation for alcohol abuse; The Sunday Times wrote that "George Brown drunk is a better man than Harold Wilson sober", but according to The Independent,
| “ | Brown became a bit of a figure of fun, and, thanks to Private Eye's favourite euphemism for his regular condition, he bequeathed the English language the expression "tired and emotional".[4] | ” |
The 1993 Peter Paterson biography, which among other things described "his fondness for the bottle",[5] was titled Tired and Emotional: The Life of Lord George Brown.
[edit] Other notable incidents
In 2002, colourful Irish soccer analyst Eamon Dunphy appeared on RTÉ, Ireland's state broadcaster, during its coverage of the 2002 World Cup, was taken off-air during the programme and suspended. Dunphy subsequently apologized to viewers, saying, "I arrived for work tired and emotional, I think is the euphemism and I was tired. I'd had a few drinks, I hadn't slept and I think wasn't fit to fulfill my contract".[6]
Private Eye noted in 2004 when The Sun newspaper, after an incident involving Prince Harry, then 20, quoted a "senior Clarence House source" as saying that Harry was "fired up. He'd been drinking and was tired and emotional."[7]
BBC foreign affairs correspondent John Simpson described the "erratic" Serbian politician Vuk Drašković as "tired and emotional" in a live news report from Belgrade, broadcast on the UK evening news, knowing that the British audience would understand the meaning. The only remaining description of Draskovic in this way is in the article Change in the air in Belgrade.
[edit] References in popular culture
Tired and Emotional is also the name of the debut album by Irish housewife turned folk and blues singer Mary Coughlan in 1985; after Coughlan admitted her struggle with alcoholism in the 1990s, the Sunday Mirror noted that it had been "prophetically titled".[8]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Nigel Rees (2002). Cassell's Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins. Sterling Publishing Company. ISBN 0304362255.
- ^ Jessica Hodgson. "Private Eye hails libel victory", Mediaguardian.co.uk, November 7, 2001. Retrieved on 2007-02-23.
- ^ Sally Adams (2001). Interviewing for Journalists. Routledge. ISBN 0415229138.
- ^ a b Sean O'Grady. "Rear window: The original 'tired and emotional' politician", The Independent, September 3, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-23.
- ^ "Tired and Emotional" (September 1993). Contemporary Review.
- ^ Eithne Donnellan. "Dunphy admits guilt after RTÉ suspension from Cup", Irish Times, June 10, 2002. Retrieved on 2007-02-24.
- ^ Paul Thompson, Martel Maxwell, and Virginia Wheeler. "Harry Potty", The Sun, October 22, 2004. Retrieved on 2007-02-23.
- ^ Sharon Feinstein. "Singing the blues is one thing.. feeling them nearly killed me; MARY", Sunday Mirror, September 24, 2000. Retrieved on 2007-02-23.
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