Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. extreme drunkenness.

1609		Pimlyco, or Runne Red-Cap 2: The Pimlyconians are most of them Malt-men [...] they liue not long, for a man can hardly stay amongst them two dayes: if he doe, he is in great danger, by reason of a certaine disease [...] called the Staggers, through which, many of them come to their Downe-fall.
1620		Rowlands Night Raven 14: A drunkard [...] Came very late reeling through the watch, who cald him [...] who goes there? But he, in staggers would not seem to heare.
1628		R. Speed Counter Rat F3: [A Black Rat] This second Smug, who had the staggers [...] This Smith so arm’d in Ale.
1663		Man in the Moon 5 May 14: [He] went reeling home, like one troubled with the staggers.
1818		M.L. Weems Drunkard’s Looking Glass (1929) 60: The drunkard’s looking glass, reflecting a faithful likeness of the drunkard, in sundry very interesting attitudes, [...] as first, when he has only ‘a drop in his eye;’ second, when he is ‘half shaved;’ third, when he is getting ‘a little on the staggers or so;’ and fourth, and fifth, and so on, till he is ‘quite capsized;’ or ‘snug under the table with the dogs,’ and can ‘stick to the floor without holding on.’.
1866		C.H. Smith Bill Arp 128: Thar was nary one but what had the dyspepsy or the swinny, or the rumatics, or the blind staggers, or the heaves, or the humps, or sumthin.
1881		Bulletin (Sydney) 26 Mar. 9/2: The Jim Jams. Nervous Abilities. Enlargement of the thirst and Appetite. Hennessy’s Staggers.
1888		Aberdeen Eve. Exp. 7 June 4/1: In aiming a kiss at a Chicago girl’s mouth and missing it [...] he must have had the blind staggers.
1891		Leeds Times 6 June 6/6: In Kansas I was obliged to make an affadavit [sic] and swear it that I was sick with the blind staggers.
1898		Atlanta Constitution (GA) 11 Nov. 7/3: ‘The officer said you were drunk, Ella Watson’ [...] ‘It wus de blind staggers whut I had’.
1907		Washington Times 9DC) 27 Apr. 12/3: ‘All uf a sudden Ah don’ got d’ blin’ staggers an Ah falls’.
1907		J.M. Synge Playboy of the Western World Act III: Well, isn’t he a nasty man to get into such staggers at a morning wake.
1913		Fort Wayne Dly News (IN) 21 Aug. 12/4: Bill Goggins evidently had an attack of blind staggers.
1920		R. Lardner Big Town 59: If a stew with the blind staggers had of walked in there in the dark, the folks on the floor below would of thought he’d knocked the head pin for a goal.
1927		(con. 1917) J. Stevens Mattock 130: Sergeant Shevlin, running like he had the blind staggers loomed into sight.
1939		H. Miller Tropic of Capricorn (1964) 298: He would [...] return two or three hours later blind drunk and, what was worse, scratching a little paint off the rolling doors in his blind staggers.
1949		(con. 1943–5) A. Murphy To Hell and Back (1950) 27: Probably invented the blind staggers and the seven-day hangover.
1952		Lait & Mortimer USA Confidential 95: U.S. Customs agents it has, but apparently some have the blind staggers.
1962		D. Powell Golden Spur (1991) 187: He could [...] fall on his face with blind staggers.
1975		J. McClure Snake 117: It was the Coloured pusher Rex du Pluui, already with the staggers at that hour, and holding up an empty bottle.
1978		D. DeLillo Running Dog (1992) 157: A rangy Negro skittering over the dance floor, all ripples and blind staggers.
1985		J. Wambaugh Secrets of Harry Bright (1986) 31: Hiram, in a state of stagger from an overload of crystal and bar whiskey.
1990		J. Healy Streets Above Us (1991) 179: He wanders away to get a bite before he gets a touch of the staggers.
2000		(con. 1940s–60s) Décharné Straight from the Fridge Dad.

2. in fig. use of sense 1.

1852		Stirling Obs. 27 May 3/6: You’ll spit the tobacco-juice of determination in John Bull’s eyes till he has the blind staggers, when you can take him by the tail.
1911		Day Book (Chicago) 11 Dec. 23/2: Organized labor has a string to it, so long and twisted that to follow it to its end would bring on a severe attack of the blind staggers.