What it means
Means drunk in that soft, old-school way where someone's clearly had a few, eyes all glazed up, chatting daft, maybe a bit wobbly, but still cheerful. It's more pub-laugh than total carnage. You'd use it for someone who's nicely sozzled, not fully gone feral.
Usage examples
"After two pints and a shot, he was pie-eyed, hugging the bouncer and telling the taxi driver he was his best mate. Kebab time."
"By the end of the reception Uncle Tom was pie-eyed and giving a teary speech nobody had asked for."
"We came out the beer festival a bit pie-eyed, all hugging strangers and swearing we'd do it again."
"He was proper pie-eyed by closing time, grinning at the fruit machine like it'd just told him a secret."
"Couple more glasses of prosecco and she's gonna be pie-eyed, texting everyone she loves them and ordering chips for the table."
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Where it comes from
It’s an old English drunk word that turns up in print by the early 20th century, especially in Britain. The image seems to be about the eyes looking oddly fixed or glazed, though the exact path into the phrase isn’t pinned down with total certainty. What is solid is that it’s long-established and distinctly old-fashioned.
Other ways to say it
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