hocus, adj. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

hocus adj.

[abbr. and fig. use of SE hocus pocus, a nonsensical term used by jugglers and used by ext. to mean nonsense or trickery; the implication is that the mind has been tricked by the alcohol]

drunk.

c.1750–1882		B.M. Carew Life and Adventures.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Hocus pocus [...] Hocus is used to express drunkenness: as, he is quite hocus; he is quite drunk.
1804		C.L. Lewes Comic Sketches 26: The Beau would say he was, ‘Hocus, Non se ipse, Elevated, Electrified, or, Non Compos Mentis’.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1827		Commercial Advertiser (N.Y.) 1 Feb. 2/3: After roystering at the Theatre, they broomed to a neighboring bousing ken, [...] and here, having drunk couge and slim till they were hocus.
1897		‘Price Warung’ Tales of the Old Regime 176: Dillon had been flung out into the street after the theft, hocussed, drunk.