Green’s Dictionary of Slang

drunk, tipsy.

1821		Egan Life in London (1869) 144: swipey bill, a translator of Soles. [Ibid.] 219: Upon the entrance of these Swells, a general stare is the result: the Cyprians are throwing their leering ogles towards them, in hopes of procuring a Cull; and if the latter are caught any ways inclined to roosting from being swipy, the young buzmen will make them pay dearly for the few winks they may enjoy.
1828		N.-Y. Eve. Post 27 Feb. n.p.: For a number of years, I have been what is called a moderate drinker. I have never been right ‘negro drunk,’ though I have been pretty ‘swipey’.
1836		D. Crockett Exploits and Adventures (1934) 241: The darned critter was so thoroughly swiped that he didn’t know his head from his heels.
1841		Worcs. Chron. 18 Aug. 4/1: A mock modest young widow for Eve-sham [...] Two ‘swipey’ young brimstones for Malton.
1847		Southern Literary Messenger 151: Our boatmen will swear, perform at ‘old sledge,’ get ‘swipey’ on ‘bald face’ and ‘chaw tabeaccer’.
1848		North-Carolinan (Fayetteville, NC) 18 Nov. 1/6: Drunk [...] swizzled, swiped [...] smoked.
1850		Fast Man 9:1 n.p.: Sort of sentimental swipey spouter [...] , who never drinks with the lads [...] yet’s always ‘foggy’.
1851		Bell’s Life in Sydney 1 Feb. 2/7: A lantern-jawed, hawk-beaked, ill-favoured, seedy, swipy-looking person.
a.1856		Burlington Sentinel in Hall (1856) 461: We give a list of a few of the various words and phrases which have been in use, at one time or another, to signify some stage of inebriation: [...] swipy.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1865		Dickens Our Mutual Friend (1994) 533: A muddling and swipey old child.
1866		Border Watch (Mt Gambier, SA) 31 Oct. 3/2: THE LATEST SLANG CREATION IN NEW YORK [...] when [‘a fast young man’] is drunk he is ‘swipsey’.
1866		Vermont Transcript (St Albans, VT) 9 Nov. 2/4: She went out and got swipier and swipier.
1870		Mercury (Hobart) 23 Apr. 2/5: [from the Stranraer Free Press] [...] swipey, boosin’, carousin’.
1881		Shields Dly Gaz. 10 Jan. n.p.: For the one word drunk [...] we find mops and brooms [...] moony [...] swipy, lumpy [...] on the ran-tan.
1899		R. Whiteing No. 5 John Street 60: Swipey Loafer ain’t up to much this week.
1901		G. Douglas House with Green Shutters 223: Just drinking, ye know; wi’ – wi’ Swipey Broon.
1906		Salt Lake City (UT) 30 Mar. 4/5: He is [...] muggy, [...] swipey, podgy, cock-eyed .