mod. very tight. : The windows were closed—tight as a tick—to keep the cold out.
mod. alcohol intoxicated. (An elaboration of tight.) : The host got tight as a tick and fell in the pool.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition. Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Drunk, as in She was tight as a tick after just one glass of wine. This expression alludes to a tick engorged with the blood of the animals it feeds on. [Slang; mid-1800s]
