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The earliest known use of the adjective squiffed is in the 1880s. OED's earliest evidence for squiffed is from before 1890. squiffed is a variant or alteration of another lexical item.
1. Eric Partridge, A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, Fifth Edition (1961), says that the term originated (with the meaning "slightly drunk" circa 1873, and that by 1880 it had expanded to include the meaning "drunk in any degree." Partridge says that the term probably derives from " skew-whiff, perhaps on swipey."
squif· fy ˈskwi-fē. variants or less commonly squiffed. ˈskwift. : intoxicated, drunk. Word History. Etymology. origin unknown. First Known Use. circa 1855, in the meaning defined above. Time Traveler. The first known use of squiffy was circa 1855. See more words from the same year. Dictionary Entries Near squiffy. squid-jigging. squiffy. squiggle.
The earliest known use of the noun squiff is in the late 1500s. OED's earliest evidence for squiff is from 1594, in a translation by Robert Ashley, translator and book collector. squiff is a borrowing from French. Etymons: French esquif. See etymology.
1930s. The earliest known use of the noun squiff is in the 1930s. OED's earliest evidence for squiff is from 1939, in a letter by Ezra Pound, poet. squiff is perhaps formed within English, by back-formation. Etymons: squiffy adj. See etymology. Nearby entries. squiddle, v. 1824–34. squid fish, n. 1726–. squidge, n.¹ 1897–. squidge, n.² 1907–.
Word origin. [1870–75; orig. uncert.] This word is first recorded in the period 1870–75. Other words that entered English at around the same time include: fifth wheel, giveaway, immobilize, linkage, washout.
squiffed (English) Origin & history. Variant of squiffy. Pronunciation. IPA: /ˈskwɪft/. Rhymes: -ɪft. Adjective. squiffed (not comparable) (informal) intoxicated.
