Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a heavy drinker.

1977		A. Bleasdale Who’s Been Sleeping in my Bed 47: She’s a proper alecan.
1984		Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 10/2: latish C.19–earlyish 20.

an alehouse-keeper; thus ale-drapery, a public house.

1592		H. Chettle Kind-Harts Dreame C4: He vtterly undid two milch maydens that had set up a shoppe of Ale-drapery. [Ibid.] E3: I get mee a wife, with her a little money: when we are married, seeke a house we must; no other occupation haue I but to be an Ale-draper.
1597		E.S. The discouerie of the Knights of the Poste : A Draper (quoth. Freeman) what Draper, of woollin or linnen▪ No (qd he) an Ale Draper.
1621		W. Gamage Linsi-woolsie n.p.: Epig. 47. T… Baccho, quam Vulcane. To Hugh, the Ale-Draper. Thou art a Crafts-man good; yet all thy Craft Cannot detaine thee from too deepe a Draft.
1655		R. Younge Charge against Drunkenness 13: These godlesse ale-drapers, and other sellers of drink [OED].
1674		Fragmenta carceris, or, The Kings-bench scuffle n.p.: Commanded by the chief of all, / Whom we in vulgar terms do call Ale-draper.
1680		R. Bateman [title] Batemans hue-and-cry after the pretended Sieur de Vernantes, and his counterfeit spirit of scurvey-grass, lately shamm'd upon the world by one Clark an ale-draper, near Temple-Barr.
1690		[title] The Kentish maiden: or, The fumbling ale-draper derided. Who gave a handkerchief and money for a night's lodging with a lass whom at length he left in the lurch.
1700		Cuckoldom Alamode 26 Aug. 1: [broadside] A certain Ale-Drapers Wife, whose charming features had so far-witch’d the Head-strong Tallow Chandler.
1719		in D’Urfey Pills to Purge Melancholy V 258: There lives an Ale-draper near New-palace-yard.
1747		Parish Register of Scotter, Linc. [Buried], July 8th, Thomas Broughton, Farmer and Ale-draper [F&H].
1760		Dublin Courier 16 June 2/1: Elizabeth Harbourn [...] has parted from her husband Charles of the city of Dublin, in George’s-lane, ale-draper.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1822		R. Nares Gloss. (1888) I 16: †ale-draper. A humorous term for the keeper of an ale-house.
1834		Perry’s Banking Gaz. 22 Feb. 4/1: Court-house, City of York, 5th March [...] Cowlman Richard of Silver-street, York, ale-draper.

a drunkard, a drinking companion.

1574		R. Scot A perfite platforme of a hoppe garden 54: [T]he priuate vnthriftynesse of the Ale-knights.
1589		T. Nash Anatomie of Absurditie 11: [E]uery ignorant Ale knight will breath foorth ouer the potte, as soone as his braine waxeth hote.
1592		H. Chettle Kind-Harts Dreame C2: While they are in the ruffe of ribaudrie [...] the olde ale-knight their dad breakes out into admiration, and sends out stragling customers to admire his roaring sonnes.
1608		Pennyless Parliament of Thread-Bare Poets in Harleian Misc. III (1809) 76: But oh! you ale-knights, you that devour the marrow of the malt, and drink whole ale-tubs into consumptions.
a.1616		F. Beaumont Answer of Ale to the Challenge of Sack in Chalmers Eng. Poets (1810) VI 208/2: Come all you brave wights, That are dubbed ale-knights.
1620		J. Melton Astrologaster 19: Saint Martin and Saint Urban guard all Ale-Knights, Tauerne-Hunters, and Drunkards, from falling into the Kennell.
1628		Panala medica 3: [T]he fiery choller of an Old Elderton, or a new Ale-Knight.
1653		Mercurius Democritus 19-26 Oct. 624: An Ale Knight, called Sir Thomas Tooper, being lately fuddling in the Dark-house in Old Fish-street [etc.].
1822		R. Nares Gloss. (1888) I 17: †ale-knight, s. A haunter of ale-houses; a tippler.
1864		R. Chambers Book of Days II 597: This man was a regularly dubbed ale-knight, loved barley wine to the full .

(Aus.) a female publican or barmaid.

1996

J. Byrell Lairs, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers 21: [O]wned by no other than ‘the ale-moll Constance Chaddick’.

a brewer, a publican.

1890–1904

Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.

to get drunk on beer; thus aled up.

1938		D. Runyon ‘A Piece of Pie’ Runyon on Broadway (1954) 674: When a Boston character is engaged in aleing himself up, it is a good idea to let him alone.
1966		T. Keyes All Night Stand 120: They were already so aled up [...] that there wasn’t much way.