full as a tick
Stuffed after a big meal. Not another bite.
Also called tight as a tick.
Updated September 21, 2026
full as a tick pronunciation
/FULL az uh TIK/
Meaning
Picture a tick swollen tight on a dog's ear. That is how your belly feels after Sunday dinner, a fish fry, or too many biscuits. In Southern and mountain talk this simile usually means full of food. Elsewhere it has also meant drunk. On a redneck porch it is the polite pass when somebody tries to load your plate again.
How folks use it
- “No more pie for me. I'm full as a tick.”
- “After that fish fry we were all full as a tick.”
Origin and etymology
English proverb stock by 1678 ("as full as a tick" in Ray's collection), aimed at a blood-gorged tick, not a feather mattress. American dialect notes keep both senses: drunk, and stuffed with food. Ozark and Southern speakers often mean the supper-table kind. Cousin phrase tight as a tick rides the same swollen-tick picture.
Frequently asked questions
Does this mean drunk?
It can, in some places. Around a Southern table it usually just means you ate enough for two.