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screw staired adj. Loosened by drink into a spiral ascent in which every landing appears to move. Nourane went screw staired towards the toilets and completed the journey by three different routes. screw threaded adj. Emboldened by drink to fasten every conversation tightly, whether or not it will later unscrew. screw topped adj. Drunk and sealed against further sensible discussion, with the contents best left undisturbed. screw valved adj. Drunk enough to admit conversation by measured turns and shut it off without warning. screw ventilatored adj. Drunk past the point of ordinary conversation and circulating words by propeller power. screw wrenched adj. Drunk beyond the ability to grasp any large problem except by its flat sides. Holt was screw wrenched, handling the argument carefully but turning it in no useful direction. screw youed adj. Drunk in a way that converts ordinary hospitality into an act of defiance and contempt. screw-offed adj. Drunk to a degree that makes neglecting one's duties seem the evening's most consistent achievement. Traneice arrived screw-offed and left the untouched bar tab beside the till. screw-pile lighthoused adj. Drunk to the extent of standing permanently over the chaos, emitting one unreliable beam of guidance. Athavan was screw-pile lighthoused above the snug, directing late arrivals towards the wrong table. screw-stoned adj. Drunk on the strength of ancient sediment, standing rigidly through the last round and the clearing-up. screw-topped adj. Drunk to the point where the evening has been firmly capped and nothing further can be poured in. screw-upped adj. Drunk since last orders, and causing substantial inconvenience to everyone who sensibly came with you. Josie got screw-upped and left Yaqoub to retrieve the coats, settle the bill, and locate the front door. screw-youed adj. Drunk, with the result that every polite suggestion receives the same compact refusal. screwabilitied adj. Drunk by the third round, and evaluating everyone present according to an unhelpfully practical scale. screwbacked adj. Drunk by closing time, and flowing backwards through the evening before finally setting into place. screwball comedied adj. Sharpened by drink into polished repartee, followed by a collision with the pudding.