Green’s Dictionary of Slang

drunk, tipsy.

1933

‘William Juniper’ True Drunkard’s Delight 226: He is feeling [...] malted.

drunk; thus personnified as Mr Maltby.

1811		Caledonian Mercury 14 Oct. 4/2: Toasts and bumpers had so often gone round that Mr Maltby was getting on board, but Sir Oliver’s resplendence conducted the company home before twelve in good order.
1821		‘A Real Paddy’ Real Life in Ireland 99: Going to bed malty with his clothes on.
1821–6		‘Bill Truck’ Man o’ War’s Man (1843) 146: His fondness for larking and mischief when he’s malty.
1839		Crim.-Con. Gaz. 7 Dec. 295/1: There is no harm in Jas. Scott going to cricket, but why did he get so terribly malty.
1845		Bell’s Life in Sydney 27 Dec. 1/5: [...] picked up by the traps for getting malty and have the next morning to shell out to the beak five or ten of the queen’s images.
1847		Punch XIII 213/1: Malty is indicative of the state of the Fast Man when under the effect of too much ‘malt’.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.

a beer drinker.

1821		W.T. Moncrieff Tom and Jerry III iii: A plague on these malty cove fellows.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict. 21: Malty coves – beer drinkers.
1846		Swell’s Night Guide 125/1: Malty Coves, Beer Drinkers.
1890		C. Hindley Vocab. and Gloss. in True Hist. of Tom and Jerry 186: Malty Coves. Porter patrons, heavy wet encouragers, beer drinkers – and thinkers!

alcohol.

1600

T. Heywood Edward IV (1874) I 11: See how Saint Katherines smokes; wipe, slaues your eies, And whet your stomackes for the good mault pies.

(N.Z.) a glass of beer.

2003

McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl.

a heavy drinker.

1549		T. Chaloner (trans.) Erasmus Praise of Folie (1509) 25: [O]lde men, rather good maltwormes, than women haunters, who contrarie to my supposicion will putte theyr greatest felicitee in tipling, and good fare.
c.1550		Skelton in Works (1843) I x: The tears ronne downe her cheke / Then dothe she troule To me the bolle As a goode malte worme sholde .
1575		‘Mr. S’ Gammer Gurton’s Needle in Whitworth (1997) II i: Then doth she troll to me the bowl, Even as a malt-worm should.
1587		W. Harrison Description of England 150: It is incredible to say how our malt-bugs lug at this liquor .
1591		Nashe Prognostication in Works II 147: If violent death take not away such consuming mault worms [F&H].
1640		‘Mary Tattle-well’ Womens sharpe revenge 173: There is no learned Pot-leech or Renowned Malt-worme that is worthy to hold the candle to an English Drunkard.
1659		N. Culpeper Culpeper’s school of physick 296: [T]he head is light, and akes, full of fantasies, and divers times some be so sopited, that the Maltworm playeth the devil so fast in the head, that all the world runneth round about on wheels.
1889		Austin Dobson Poems on Several Occasions II, 209: ‘The Malt-worm’s Madrigal’ [Title] [F&H].

to drink beer.

1857

Argus (Melbourne) 6 Jan. 6/3: ‘Modern Fast Conversation’ [...] He does not drink beer, but ‘does malt,’ or (the nasty follow) ‘takes a drain’.

(Scot.) to be drunk.

1721		J. Kelly Scot. Proverbs 320: The Malt’s above the Meal with you. That is, you are drunk.
1846		Bell’s Life in Sydney 14 Mar. 2/5: Mary M’Cann, a natty little piece of property, made her bow for taking ‘her malt above the meal’.
1858		M. Porteous Souter Johnny 10: He was a sturdy stalwart chiel, Fond o’ his maut aboon his meal.

to be drunk.

1678		J. Ray Proverbs (2nd edn) 87: Proverbiall Periphrases of one drunk. He’s disguised [...] The malt is above the water.
1737		B. Franklin ‘Drinkers Dictionary’ in Pennsylvania Gazette 6 Jan. in AS XII:2 92: They come to be well understood to signify plainly that A MAN IS DRUNK. [...] The Malt is above the Water.
1846		Bell’s Life in Sydney 28 Feb. 3/2: Elizabeth Stevens [...] was charged with taking her rum above the water, and shewing off in the police office.

to be drunk.

1546		J. Heywood Proverbs I Ch. xi: Soft fire maketh sweete malte. [Ibid.] 25: Malt is aboue wheate with him, market men saie.
1588		Cogan Haven of Health (1612) 217: Take good heede that malt be not aboue wheate before your parte.
1626		N. Breton Fantastickes B3: Haruest. Malt is now aboue wheat with a number of mad people.
c.1649		in Ebsworth Roxburghe Ballads II 95: Men will call for it [i.e. tobacco] when malt’s above wheat.