Deciphering the language of intoxication

By HealthDay News

"A man being 'hammered' may or may not be the same thing as a woman being 'tipsy' or what a researcher considers 'drunk,' a new report shows."

"The findings, expected to be published in the March issue of "Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research," reveal that the language used by drinkers to describe intoxication differs much from what researchers use, causing limits in interpretation and understanding..."

"Researchers try to use objective measures and terms, but these ignore subjective differences of the individual drinking experience. Two Web-based surveys Levitt's team conducted to find out people's understanding and familiarity with certain synonyms for intoxication show the language difference is especially noticeable between men and women..."

Full article available at http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/12/15/decipherin...