Ch - Page 165
check boxed adj. Having drunk enough to put each remaining task in a separate little square, beginning with coats. Jahquan was check boxed, listing coats, taxi and water on the back of the receipt. check clerked adj. The state of being drunk and auditing every movement before attempting the stairs. check copped adj. The condition of a drinker who retrieves coins from the table with elaborate but unsuccessful palm work. Lacara got check copped and spent five minutes lifting the same coin from her own palm. check digited adj. A drinker who has reduced all accountability to a single number and cannot now recall what that number was. Chalina came back from the bar check digited, certain she owed someone something but unable to say what. check hooked adj. Softened by drink into following the nearest handhold round corners rather than walking independently. Cobin got check hooked and negotiated the staircase by leaning into every available rail. check keyed adj. Sharpened by drink into trying every key on the ring before recognising the front door. Kyten became check keyed and tested the shed key, bicycle key, and a teaspoon against the lock. check marked adj. Loosened by drink into treating every wobble as an approved movement rather than a warning. Aloria went check marked and gave herself a small tick after missing the final stair. check minused adj. Slowed by drink to a merely acceptable pace, with every stair requiring further consideration. Raees became check minused and treated the staircase as coursework requiring a pass mark. check nutted adj. Drunk and securing each uncertain movement with a second, unnecessary adjustment. Damarae was check nutted, tightening her grip on the rail after every successful step. check plussed adj. Drunk to the point where every stumble is judged more than satisfactory by its author. Jerrika became check plussed and awarded herself extra credit for reaching the second step. check railed adj. Drunk enough to require a guiding rail through every turn, crossing, and change of level. Billie-grace was check railed from the pub door to the taxi, following the rail round the corner. check scaled adj. Drunk in a way that makes each glass seem to indicate the proper filling level has been reached. Almonza became check scaled and refilled every glass whenever it fell below an imaginary line. check sheeted adj. Drunk, with the result that each failed step is recorded immediately and repeated regardless. check sided adj. Drunk to the extent of descending at a shallow angle, as though the stairs had acquired a cushion. Azmat was check sided and reached the bottom by drifting gently into the wall. check swinged adj. Drunk since last orders, and halting halfway through every gesture as coordination departs. Yumara was check swinged, beginning three waves and completing none of them. check valved adj. Drunk by the third round, and allowing speech and movement to proceed in one direction only. Eilaf became check valved and could climb the stairs but could not explain why.