Green’s Dictionary of Slang

drunk; thus obfuscation, drunkenness.

1839		Knickerbocker Mag. Oct. 347: He had been carousing on board of a vessel, newly arrived, and was somewhat obfuscated in intellect, by the liquor he had imbibed.
1848		Fraser’s Mag. Jan. 10: [note] ‘Oh, Jacob, Jacob, tipsy again!’ we once said to a parishioner, whom we met tottering along considerably obfuscated.
[1850		Harper’s Mag. I 426/1: His mind was obfuscated by the wine he had been drinking. He was confused and tedious in his remarks].
1850		J.M. Wilson Historical, Traditionary and Imaginative Tales V 84/1: He perceived a considerable degree of obfuscation about Geordie — ‘Begging yer Highness’ pardon, but I thought your Highness had known that we had muscadel’.
1854		Bell’s Life in Sydney 4 Nov. 2/6: The sailor was so obfuscated with liquor [...] that he forthwith made Margaret an offer of his purse.
1857		Paul Pry (London 15 Aug. n.p.: The intervals were spent [...] in dancing along to the most lively tunes which an obfuscated individual could conjure up. Joe amused himself and doxy clambering up lamp-posts and lighting his cutty pipe.
1862		H. Kingsley Ravenshoe 126: In a general state of obfuscation, in consequence of being plied with strange liquors by their patrons.
1869		W. Bradwood O.V.H. III 85: Whose ignorance or temporarily obfuscated brain caused him to mistake his employer for Mr. Blake.
1871		Dundee Courier 23 Nov. 3/1: [They] succeeded in getting themselves very well fuddled[...] and both travellers had much difficulty, in their obfuscated condition, in reaching the bank.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1886		Northampton Mercury 10 July 5/6: An Obfuscated Blacksmith — John Martin [...] was charged with being drunk and incapable.
1889–90		Barrère & Leland Dict. of Sl., Jargon and Cant.
1900		Sporting Times 2 June 1/3: But, obfuscated owl that he was, he overshot the pawnbroker’s.
1904		Sun. Times (Perth) 3 Jan. 4/4: The local revellers, themselves cheerfully obfuscated.
1907		N.Z. Truth 26 Jan. 6/5: Drunken men from the country [...] are in clover until the obfuscated person sobers up sufficiently to notice the kind of petticoat he has been dallying with.
1912		Ade Knocking the Neighbors 139: He had been Snooted for Fair, Plastered, Ossified, Benzoated, Piped, Pickled, Spifflicated, Corned, Raddled, Obfuscated, Soused and Orr-Eyed.
1926		Derby Dly Teleg. 9 Jan. 2/4: The tests [will] enable magistrates to deal with a well-defined accusation such as [...] raddled [...] lushy [...] obfuscated [...] disguised, groggy.