You probably wouldn’t be surprised to know that there are lots of English idioms about drink and also about being drunk. If you know them all, that’s probably not a good sign…
- To “Bend an Elbow” – probably doesn’t need that much explaining.
Example: “I have to work tonight, but let’s go bend an elbow later in the week”. - “Dutch Courage” – meaning: to be drunk with the intention of working up the nerve to do something.
Example: With enough Dutch courage, I finally gained the confidence to speak to her. - To “go Cold Turkey” – meaning to stop something addictive (like alcohol) suddenly.
Example: I stopped playing computer games cold turkey five years ago today, and I haven’t played again since. - “Hair of the Dog” (That Bit You) – meaning: small amount of same drink (that caused your hangover) on the morning after.
Example: “Oh dear, you look terrible… how about a hair of the dog? - To “hold One’s Liquor” – meaning: to able to drink a large amount without being very drunk
Example: “Dean can’t hold his drink at all… One drink and he’ll do anything” (true) - To be “on the Wagon” – meaning: not drinking any alcohol – having given up drinking alcoholic beverages.
Example: “I’ll just have a Coke – I’m on the wagon”
You can also “fall off the wagon”… not good - To have “one for the Road” – meaning: one last final drink (or something else) before leaving
Example: “how about one for the road Dean?” - To “Paint the Town Red – meaning: to go out drinking and partying.
Example: “I just finished my last exam. Let’s go out and paint the town red!” - To be “three sheets to the wind” – meaning: to have had too much to drink
Example: “My goodness, Dean is three sheets to the wind again!
– this is an old sailing idiom – you can’t steer the boat if the sails are not tied down. - To be “as drunk as a lord” – not difficult to understand and comes from medieval England when the poor could not afford to drink much alcohol – but the nobility had no problem…
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