Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. anxious, unnerved.

1865		T.F. Upson diary 11 Mar. in Winther With Sherman to the Sea (1958) 153: I think the Johnnys are getting rattled; they are afraid of our repeating rifles.
1869		J.R. Browne Adventures in Apache Country 282: I think he was slightly rattled by the formidable appearance of an escort.
1887		World (N.Y.) 16 June 6/4: After that the local Leaguers slaughtered the men from the City of Brotherly Love, and the latter several times seemed ‘rattled’.
1895		E. Townsend Chimmie Fadden Explains 21: De lady on de stage was so rattled bout her own business dat she never tumbled what was up.
1902		Ade Forty Modern Fables 73: A trifle Forlorn, but not so Rattled that she took any Chances of Queering her own Game.
1915		C.J. Dennis ‘Hitched’ in Songs of a Sentimental Bloke 82: I wus so rattled when that porter spoke; / Fer, ’struth! them tickets I ’ad fair forgot!
1929		W.R. Burnett Little Caesar (1932) 66: Wood’s manager got so goddam rattled he identified one of the plain-clothes men as the guy that did the inside stand.
1936		‘Banjo’ Paterson Shearer’s Colt 138: The chief steward was by no means rattled.
1944		J. Cary Horse’s Mouth (1948) 14: Don’t get rattled off your centre.
1950		S. Murphy Stone Mad (1966) 185: Whenever he’s rattled he gets insulting.
1963		J. Rechy City of Night 308: I got so rattled, I didnt know what to do!
1972		Nova Apr. 95: He reminds him of the guys, close-set, slow, and never rattled.
1981		J. Wambaugh Glitter Dome (1982) 177: She was too rattled to be telling lies.
1996		P. Cornwell Cause of Death (1997) 146: I don’t blame Lucy for being a little rattled.
2000		N. Griffiths Grits 69: Am fuckin rattled t’fuck now.
2005		A. Lovejoy Acid Alex 76: The three of them were understandably rattled silly.

2. drunk.

1933

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