In the 1800s, tall ships had sails controlled by ropes known as sheets, which were fixed to the lower corners of the sails to keep them in place. If one of these sheets were to become loose or break off, the sheets are then said to be ‘to the wind’. When all three of these sheets are loose, the sails will flap around wildly, and the ship’s movement and direction will be completely out of control. Sailors would describe someone who is tipsy as having ‘one sheet to the wind’, whereas if they were out of control drunk, they would be likened to having ‘three sheets to the wind."