> …I use the term "faucets and toilets" to mean the same thing. It should always work, be boring, obvious to use, and ideally not even be considered technology.
I like that, but I think that's something different than expressed by "the user is drink" or "the user is high".
Assuming I understand you correctly, "faucets and toilets" is a way of summarizing that UX design should favor popular convention when possible.
"The user is drunk/high" is a way of saying that, regardless of the novelty of a particular interaction (not all of which can be faucets/toilets), designers should assume that users will always be more-or-less impaired by the distractions of life.