Why does everyone here use the phrase "doped to the gills"?

Imagine if you drank a whole gallon of dope. You'd be doped to the ankles.

Now imagine how much dope it takes to be doped to the gills. That's a lot of dope. Damn that's a lotta dope! That's what doped to the gills means.

Do not under any circumstances drink a gallon of dope for real.

Bad Wigins wrote:

Imagine if you drank a whole gallon of dope. You'd be doped to the ankles.

Now imagine how much dope it takes to be doped to the gills. That's a lot of dope. Damn that's a lotta dope! That's what doped to the gills means.

Do not under any circumstances drink a gallon of dope for real.

I use this phrase all time ))

I agree - although I have been using the silly phrase myself.

Bad Wigins wrote:

Imagine if you drank a whole gallon of dope. You'd be doped to the ankles.

You're an unknowledgeable idiot. Please shut up and leave this forum.

The phrase comes from "stuffed to the gills", which is what a chef may do with a fish before serving it. "Stuffed to the gills" also has the metaphorical meaning of eating too much. "Doped to the gills" is a variation that's fairly common to use about drugged-up patients (or drug addicts)

corrector of morons wrote:

You're an unknowledgeable idiot. Please shut up and leave this forum.

The phrase comes from "stuffed to the gills", which is what a chef may do with a fish before serving it. "Stuffed to the gills" also has the metaphorical meaning of eating too much. "Doped to the gills" is a variation that's fairly common to use about drugged-up patients (or drug addicts)

-1/10

quit ruining a thread with potential you dimwit. And mind your manners, nobody cares if you hate me. Sit on it.

I always assumed it meant someone was so doped they were metaphorically swimming in it (the dope) like a fish.

It's a pretty old phrase. The following is from Thurber's great short story "The Catbird Seat." 1942.

Mr. Martin puffed, not too awkwardly, and took a gulp of the highball. "I drink and smoke all the time," he said. He clinked his glass against hers. "Here's nuts to that old windbag, Fitweiler," he said, and gulped again. The stuff tasted awful, but he made no grimace. "Really, Mr. Martin," she said, her voice and posture changing, "you are insulting our employer." Mrs. Barrows was now all special adviser to the president. "I am preparing a bomb," said Mr. Martin, "which will blow the old goat higher than hell." He had only had a little of the drink, which was not strong. It couldn't be that. "Do you take dope or something?" Mrs. Barrows asked coldly. "Heroin," said Mr. Martin. "I'll be coked to the gills when I bump that old buzzard off."

to the gills i.e to your neck.

so you are full from your feet up to your neck, metaphorically speaking.

The phrase came about when Phelps started winning all the swimming medals. (Imagine how many medals Bolt would win if we had a 100 meter freestyle and a 100 meter skip and 100 meter backwards run etc…) Anyway everyone knew he was doped to the "gills" as a result of him being a swimmer vs runner. The phrase is fun to say and has stuck around ever since.

because you can't be any more doped than doped to the gills.