have one over (the) eight

have one over (the) eight

To have enough alcoholic drinks to be thoroughly inebriated. Primarily heard in UK. I was composed and in control of myself for most of the evening, but somewhere around midnight, I had one over the eight and started making a show of myself. It seems like Jenny makes a point of having one over eight every time she goes out on the weekend.
See also: eight, have, one, over
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

one over the eight

slightly drunk. British informal
The idea behind this idiom is that a drinker can reasonably be expected to consume eight glasses of beer without becoming drunk. The expression was originally armed forces' slang from the early 20th century.
See also: eight, one, over
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

be/have one over the ˈeight

(informal) be slightly drunk: From the way he was walking it was obvious he’d had one over the eight.This may come from a belief that a normal person could only drink eight glasses of beer without becoming drunk.
See also: eight, have, one, over
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • one over the eight
  • be one over (the) eight
  • be/have one over the eight
  • one over (the) eight
  • lost in the sauce
  • (as) happy as a sandboy
  • be as happy as a sandboy
  • happy as a sandboy
  • have had one too many
  • have a snoot full