> The whole “functioning” part of “functioning alcoholic” implies that the alcoholic is able to, well, function in a manner a normal person wouldn’t if they had

> The whole “functioning” part of “functioning alcoholic” implies that the alcoholic is able to, well, function in a manner a normal person wouldn’t if they had been drinking as heavily. Well, It's like "functioning" in "high-functioning autism"; it's speaks to how well they can function in society, not how well they can operate a motor vehicle (nor anything to do with reaction times).