The word stoned has been around for hundreds of years, however, its definition means something completely different to the newer generation than to those that originally used it. According to the Oxford English Dictionary the word, stoned, has been around since 1483. Since then the word has gone through many different meanings, ranging from being pelted with stones to describing a fruit as having stones or not. However, to today’s youth the word stoned is used in reference to someone being intoxicated. The word is so widely accepted today that it appears in national publications as well as many well known songs, because of this the word is more widely accepted as a word and most people know what it means. This causes many people to not believe that it is a slang definition but actually an accepted one.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) the word stoned first appeared around the years 1400-1450, referring to a building or structure that is built with stones. This would have come from the fact that buildings in those days, especially large ones, were built or fortified by stone. Shortly after, around the year 1483, the term stoned was used to describe the act of being hit by stones. This more often than not was used when an individual was caught for a crime. The criminals would be punished by getting hit with rocks, often resulting in death. Along with these definitions there are also a few others that the OED recognizes, some of which don’t deal with stones. In the early 1500’s farmers and individuals alike would refer to a male animal, such as a horse, as a stoned horse. What they meant by this is that the horse still has its testicles.
However, when the word stoned is used in a conversation now a days it usually refers to the act of being under the influence. According to the OED, the term stoned, being used as a slang term, came about in the early 1950’s. The term first appeared in Life magazine on Sept 29, 1952. The author stated, “Like boiled snails, bop jokes certainly are not everybody’s dish, but those who acquire the taste for them feel cool, gone, crazy and stoned.” Since the word was first used in this way it has been tossed around in many well known publications. One of these is Rolling Stone. The term appeared in the magazine in 1977, with the phrase, “stoned-out mayhem.” While walking down the street one might be able to hear the word stoned used in conversation.
A formal definition of the slang word stoned, can be found in many slang dictionaries. In the book, Dictionary of American Slang, the definition of stoned can be given as two things. One of these definitions is simply the word “drunk.” The other definition states, “Under the influence of a narcotic.” While the first definition relates to the use of alcohol, the second one focuses on being stoned on narcotics. This second definition would more closely represent the meaning that is most widely accepted amongst today’s youth. While the Dictionary of American Slang gave a good definition of the slang word stoned, another dictionary gave a more accurate definition. The Cassell’s Dictionary of Slang said, “very intoxicated on drink or more usually drugs.” This shows that while the term can be used to describe being drunk on alcohol it more often than not means being stoned on narcotics such as marijuana.
It is also evident to see how widely accepted the slang word stoned is in today’s society just by listening to music, both old and new. A few of the musicians that have included the term stoned in their music ranges from the bluesy, folk music of Bob Dylan to the newer rock/rap of Cypress Hill. In Bob Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women #12 &35” the chorus states, “Everybody must get stoned.” Along with this phrase Bob Dylan continually uses the term stoned throughout the song. Another famous artist that used the term stoned was Billy Joel. In his famous song, “Piano Man,” Joel states in one of his verses, “And the waitress is practicing politics / As the businessman slowly gets stoned.” The term even appears more so in newer music. One band that continually refers to marijuana and “getting stoned” is the rap group Cypress Hill. One of these songs is titled “Stoned is the Way of the Walk”, the chorus of this song is just like the title states, “Stoned is the way of the walk.” As one can see many famous musicians have come accustomed to sing/rap about being stoned, thus making the term available for many individuals for years to come.
As one can see it is easy for one word, such as stoned, to have many different meanings. A word may start out describing a way of punishing someone, such as throwing stones at a person, but then it may end up meaning that a person is severely intoxicated. Although the term stoned, used in the slang term sense, may not yet be accepted as an English word yet, it should. The majority of individuals, both young and old, already know what it means in the intoxicated sense, so why not make it an accepted definition?