On the razzle

For the Tom Stoppard play, see On the Razzle (play).

"On the razzle" is a euphemism often used in the British press to describe the actions of a celebrity who has drunk, or is about to drink, a considerable amount of alcohol. A night "on the razzle" does not carry completely negative connotations; it is only used to describe someone as having enjoyed themselves.

There are two theories as to the origin of the phrase.

• One theory is that it came about during World War I, when ships were often painted in bright zigzag patterns to confuse German U-boats. Sailors often came back on the supply ships from North America after consuming a large quantity of alcohol, and were therefore said to be "on the razzle."

• Another theory is that there was a gin parlour notorious for the extreme merriment of its customers in London during the 1750s. Its proprietor, who called himself "Dash Razzall," was an unscrupulous man of Italian descent. It is unclear as to how his name mutated into razzle, but his gin parlour was renowned for the amount of alcohol consumed, and that after he went bankrupt his family moved to Sussex, where they became renowned as being prone to overindulge.

Playwright Tom Stoppard used this phrase as the title of a 1981 farce, On the Razzle, which he adapted from an earlier play by Johann Nestroy.

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