Drinking Idioms: Alcohol is popular throughout the whole of the world because it enables us to feel much more confident, uplifted, and relaxed. These drinking phrases for readers can evoke memories of some of your craziest drinking moments.
What do you think is the bottoms up origin? There are a number of stories surrounding it. Learning other drinking expressions, on the other extreme, will definitely make your experience a lot more exciting and highly enjoyable, leaving you with a lot of fond memories.
Enrich your Vocabulary by practicing the English Idioms that are commonly used in everyday conversations and understand their actual meaning.
Share these alcohol idioms with your buddies the next occasion you’re drunk with them to genuinely have the party going. Nevertheless, you should always drink sensibly and in moderation, of course.
Names of Drinking Idioms
List of Drinking Idioms
- 110 Proof
- A storm in a teacup
- Back Burner (On The)
- Bend an Elbow
- Champagne tastes, beer wages
- Champagne taste on a beer budget
- Do 12-Ounce Curls
- Drink like a fish
- Drink the Kool-Aid
- Dutch courage
- Go Cold Turkey
- The Hair of the dog
- Hold One’s Liquor
- In His Cups
- In hot water
- No use crying over spilt milk
- Not hold water
- Not my cup of tea
- Of the first water
- On the Wagon
- One for the Road
- Paint the Town Red
- Quart into a pint pot
- (See the) Glass (as) Half Empty/Half Full
- Test the waters
- Three sheets to the wind
- Turn water into wine.
- Water down
- Water off a duck’s back
- Water under the bridge
- Wet Your Whistle
Meaning and Examples of some commonly used Drinking Idioms
110 Proof
Meaning: Exceptionally powerful or effective.
Example: For his power to remain sober, the drink was 110 proof.
A storm in a teacup
Meaning: A great deal of wrath or emotion over a minor subject.
Example: It was only a few days, so I’m not sure what a storm in a teacup is all about.
Back Burner (On The)
Meaning: It is not being addressed or seriously considered for the time being, mainly due to the fact that it is not essential or highly significant.
Example: Given the pandemic’s urgency of the situation, it’s best at the moment to keep all vacation arrangements on the back burner.
Bend an Elbow
Meaning: To consume alcohol in large quantities, potentially recklessly.
Example: Bending an elbow is never a panacea for all problems.
Champagne tastes, beer wages
Meaning: Someone with a high standard of living but with a modest income.
Example: My mother constantly reminds me that my taste is too affluent for my means; a classic example of champagne tastes, beer wages.
Champagne taste on a beer budget
Meaning: Expensive or lavish likes or preferences that are out of reach financially.
Example: I’m such a textbook example of Champagne taste on a beer budget, purchasing those costly beauty kits, and ending the month with a zero balance.
Do 12-Ounce Curls
Meaning: Beer-drinking.
Example: He always does 12-ounce curls, no, despite how few pennies he has left at the end of the month.
Drink like a fish
Meaning: Consuming substantial quantities of alcoholic drinks
Example: Why does he have to drink like a fish and wreak mayhem at each and every family gathering?
Drink the Kool-Aid
Meaning: Because of the apparent huge rewards, someone who participates in a potentially disastrous or risky concept.
Example: He planned to put all of his money into the stock market, like a kool-aid drink.
Dutch courage
Meaning: Drinking alcohol provides you with strength and determination.
Example: I’m not convinced where the Dutch courage originates from when they advise, “If you have to face it, confront it sober.”
Go Cold Turkey
Meaning: To cease doing something, generally a drug, pretty much instantly and altogether.
Example: After ten years of drug addiction, I am finally relieved that she was capable of going cold turkey.
The Hair of the dog
Meaning: An alcoholic beverage consumed to alleviate a terrible hangover.
Example: He needs to actually take the hair of the dog every time she returns to the office to regain her composure.
Hold One’s Liquor
Meaning: To be able to consume alcohol without becoming inebriated or exhibiting other negative repercussions.
Example: He had assured us that he could hold his liquor, but he ended up making a drunken disaster at the party.
In His Cups
Meaning: To be drunk.
Example: It’s a Saturday night, so what do you actually expect from him other than being in his cups?
In hot water
Meaning: Having caused or stirred up one’s own anger, animosity, or severe punishment.
Example: When I accidentally broke the glass door of the room to the principal of the school, I found myself in hot water.
No use crying over spilt milk
Meaning: People should not be particularly concerned or worried about circumstances that are beyond their control.
Example: Rather than crying over spilt milk, go ahead and study for your next exam; perhaps you’ll pass.
Not hold water
Meaning: The statement appears to be inaccurate and entirely unreasonable.
Example: His reasoning did not seem to hold water, and it completely contradicted what he had previously stated.
Not my cup of tea
Meaning: Something that appeals to one’s personal preferences or interests.
Example: Baseball just doesn’t seem to be my cup of tea; I’m a cricket fan.
Of the first water
Meaning: Of the utmost quality.
Example: A hefty price tag does not always necessarily imply that the product is of the first water.
On the Wagon
Meaning: Abstention from consuming alcoholic beverages.
Example: He promised his parents that no matter what, he would be on the wagon.
One for the Road
Meaning: Before departing a location, enjoy one last drink.
Example: He clearly stated that he would cover the cost of the one for the road.
Paint the Town Red
Meaning: To venture out into a town or city and also have a fine experience, especially by exploring local establishments such as pubs, cafes, and bars.
Example: Let us go paint the town red rather than just lying in that corner of your room sulking.
Quart into a pint pot
Meaning: Attempting to fit anything into a space or place that is way too small.
Example: Quit attempting to quart into a pint pot since the package is just too tiny to fit that jumper.
(See the) Glass (as) Half Empty/Half Full
Meaning: Optimists and pessimists are two types of people who might be described as half-full or half-empty.
The glass is half full, according to Optimist. Pessimists, on the other extreme, will perceive the glass as half-empty.
Example: Regardless of how hard I tried to support him in finding all of the opportunities available to him, he will sit and complain that the glass was half empty and do nothing.
Test the waters
Meaning: Before bringing an idea or plan into real action, attempt to find out what other people seem to think about it.
Example: I was quite apprehensive of the final version of the designs, so I decided it would be better to test the waters.
Three sheets to the wind
Meaning: To be drunk.
Example: Every time he gets his salary credited, he chooses to throw three sheets to the wind rather than do some savings.
Turn water into wine.
Meaning: Transform a bad situation into a positive opportunity.
Example: With that tiny capital investment, she literally turned water into wine, and her company today generates crores in annual revenue.
Water down
Meaning: To diminish or soften a plan’s vigour or effectiveness.
Example: Just as they teased at who the actual murderer was, the plot was watered down.
Water off a duck’s back
Meaning: Having no impact on another individual.
Example: I tried whatever I could to persuade him to join some other job, but it was all water off a duck’s back.
Water under the bridge
Meaning: Used to allude to things that have happened in the distant past and therefore are no longer found to be significant.
Example: Please don’t ruin the vibe by bringing up that day; it’s now nothing more than water under the bridge.
Wet Your Whistle
Meaning: To have a drink, usually a strong one.
Example: It’s not only wetting the whistle for me when it actually comes to unwinding.