Idioms are fun phrases that mean something different from the actual words inside them. People use them to make conversation more colorful, interesting, and full of feeling. Today, you will learn a large group of helpful idioms related to drinking alcohol and social gatherings.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms for drinking alcohol that mean having adult beverages and celebrating with friends. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Drinking Alcohol
1. A drop to drink
Meaning: A small amount of beverage to quench your thirst.
For Example: After working in the yard, he asked for a drop to drink. / Do you have a drop to drink in the cooler?
Other Ways to Say: A sip / A beverage
2. Add fuel to the fire
Meaning: To make a bad drinking situation or argument much worse.
For Example: Giving him more beer was just adding fuel to the fire. / Arguing with an intoxicated person adds fuel to the fire.
Other Ways to Say: Make it worse / Exacerbate the problem
3. As sober as a judge
Meaning: Being completely clear-headed and not drunk at all.
For Example: He walked straight and was as sober as a judge all evening. / She promised to stay as sober as a judge to drive us home.
Other Ways to Say: Completely sober / Clear-headed
4. Be on the wagon
Meaning: Stopping the consumption of alcohol and staying completely sober.
For Example: My uncle has been on the wagon for over a year now. / Choosing to be on the wagon helped him save a lot of money.
Other Ways to Say: Staying sober / Abstaining from alcohol
5. Beer goggles
Meaning: The state of finding someone attractive only because you have been drinking beer.
For Example: He joked that beer goggles made him text his old crush. / Wearing beer goggles can lead to funny regrets the next morning.
Other Ways to Say: Altered perception / Fuzzy judgment
6. Belly up to the bar
Meaning: To walk right up to a counter and order a drink.
For Example: The friends decided to belly up to the bar to order sodas. / He walked right in and belly up to the bar he went.
Other Ways to Say: Approach the counter / Step up to order
7. Bend an elbow
Meaning: A casual way of saying you are going out to have a drink.
For Example: The neighbors met after work to bend an elbow together. / He likes to bend an elbow on Friday nights with coworkers.
Other Ways to Say: Have a drink / Socialize with beverages
8. Bite the bottle
Meaning: To give in and start drinking alcohol again after trying to quit.
For Example: He tried hard to stop, but stress made him bite the bottle. / Do not bite the bottle when things get tough.
Other Ways to Say: Relapse / Start drinking again
9. Blind drunk
Meaning: Being so heavily intoxicated that you cannot see or walk straight.
For Example: He drank too much wine and ended up blind drunk. / Being blind drunk is dangerous and unsafe.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely intoxicated / Completely sloshed
10. Blow the froth off a cold one
Meaning: To enjoy a cold beer on a relaxing afternoon.
For Example: After mowing the lawn, he wanted to blow the froth off a cold one. / They sat on the porch to blow the froth off a cold one.
Other Ways to Say: Drink a beer / Have a cold brew
11. Booze hound
Meaning: A nickname for someone who drinks alcohol very often.
For Example: In the old story, the character was known as a local booze hound. / He did not want to become a booze hound, so he stopped drinking.
Other Ways to Say: Heavy drinker / Alcoholic
12. Bottoms up
Meaning: A happy toast said right before finishing your glass.
For Example: They raised their glasses together and shouted bottoms up! / Bottoms up to a wonderful celebration!
Other Ways to Say: Cheers / Drink up
13. drown your sorrows
Meaning: To try and forget your sadness by drinking alcohol.
For Example: Trying to drown your sorrows in wine never actually solves your problems. / He sat alone to drown his sorrows after losing the match.
Other Ways to Say: Drink away the pain / Escape through alcohol
14. Drink like a fish
Meaning: To consume very large quantities of alcoholic drinks.
For Example: At the party, some guests tended to drink like a fish. / You should not drink like a fish if you have to work tomorrow.
Other Ways to Say: Drink heavily / Consume excessive alcohol
15. Drink under the table
Meaning: To outlast someone else by drinking more alcohol than they can handle.
For Example: He boasted that he could drink anyone under the table. / Do not try to challenge him or he will drink you under the table.
Other Ways to Say: Outdrink someone / Outlast in drinking
16. Fall off the wagon
Meaning: To start drinking alcohol again after a period of staying sober.
For Example: After months of staying clean, he unfortunately fell off the wagon. / Stress at work made him fall off the wagon.
Other Ways to Say: Resume drinking / Break sobriety
17. Floating on air
Meaning: Feeling very dizzy and lightheaded after having alcohol.
For Example: After two glasses of wine, she felt like she was floating on air. / The room felt like it was floating on air after the drinks.
Other Ways toSay: Lightheaded / Dizzy from drinks
18. Floating the boat
Meaning: Having a drink that satisfies your craving at the moment.
For Example: A cold cider is just what is floating the boat tonight. / That special cocktail was really floating his boat.
Other Ways to Say: Satisfying the craving / Enjoying the drink
19. Full to the brim
Meaning: A glass filled completely with an alcoholic beverage.
For Example: She handed me a wine glass full to the brim. / Make sure the mug is full to the brim with cider.
Other Ways to Say: Filled completely / Overflowing glass
20. Get sloshed
Meaning: To become very drunk at a social event.
For Example: He drank too much punch and began to get sloshed. / They went out to get sloshed on Saturday night.
Other Ways to Say: Get drunk / Become intoxicated
21. Go on a bender
Meaning: To spend a long period of time drinking alcohol continuously.
For Example: He went on a weekend bender that left him feeling exhausted. / Going on a bender is terrible for your health.
Other Ways to Say: Drinking spree / Alcohol binge
22. Hair of the dog
Meaning: Drinking a small amount of alcohol the morning after to cure a hangover.
For Example: He joked that he needed some hair of the dog to fix his headache. / Drinking more in the morning is called hair of the dog.
Other Ways to Say: Morning drink / Hangover remedy
23. Half seas over
Meaning: An old-fashioned way of saying someone is slightly drunk.
For Example: After one pint of ale, he was already half seas over. / She looked a bit sleepy and half seas over.
Other Ways to Say: Slightly intoxicated / Tipsy
24. Hangover cure
Meaning: A remedy used to feel better after drinking too much alcohol.
For Example: Drinking plenty of water is a classic hangover cure. / He searched online for a reliable hangover cure.
Other Ways to Say: Morning recovery / Remedy for sickness
25. Have a bun in the oven
Meaning: A phrase unrelated to alcohol, but often confused in rhymes.
For Example: My aunt is expecting a baby, so she has a bun in the oven. / She baked bread while waiting, with a bun in the oven.
Other Ways to Say: Pregnant / Expecting a child
26. Have one too many
Meaning: To drink more alcoholic beverages than you should have.
For Example: He knew he had one too many when his head started spinning. / Please do not drive if you have one too many.
Other Ways to Say: Drink too much / Overindulge
27. High as a kite
Meaning: Being extremely intoxicated or altered by substances.
For Example: After several cocktails, he felt high as a kite. / The noisy crowd acted like they were high as a kite.
Other Ways to Say: Intoxicated / Wiped out
28. Hit the bottle
Meaning: To start drinking alcohol heavily, often to cope with sadness.
For Example: When things got hard, he started to hit the bottle. / Hitting the bottle never solves your emotional troubles.
Other Ways to Say: Drink heavily / Turn to alcohol
29. Hold your liquor
Meaning: Being able to drink a lot of alcohol without showing it.
For Example: She can hold her liquor better than anyone else at the table. / He tried to prove he could hold his liquor during the toast.
Other Ways to Say: Handle alcohol well / Drink steadily
30. In high spirits
Meaning: Feeling very cheerful and lively, sometimes aided by drinks.
For Example: The party guests were in high spirits after the toast. / Sharing drinks put everyone in high spirits.
Other Ways to Say: Cheerful / Lively mood
31. Juice joint
Meaning: An old nickname for an illegal bar during prohibition times.
For Example: Grandma told stories about visiting a secret juice joint in the city. / The old building used to be a famous juice joint.
Other Ways to Say: Speakeasy / Illegal tavern
32. Knock back a few
Meaning: To drink several alcoholic beverages in a short time.
For Example: They met at the pub to knock back a few beers. / He likes to knock back a few after a long work week.
Other Ways to Say: Have some drinks / Down some beers
33. Liquid bread
Meaning: A humorous nickname given to thick beers and ales.
For Example: The old miners called hearty dark ale liquid bread. / He joked that his heavy stout was basically liquid bread.
Other Ways to Say: Hearty beer / Nutritious ale
34. Liquid courage
Meaning: Alcohol drunk to give someone bravery before doing something scary.
For Example: He needed some liquid courage before singing karaoke. / She joked that her glass of wine was pure liquid courage.
Other Ways to Say: False bravery / Dutch courage
35. Lit up like a Christmas tree
Meaning: Being very visibly drunk and full of energy from alcohol.
For Example: After a few cocktails, he was lit up like a Christmas tree. / The rowdy guest became lit up like a Christmas tree.
Other Ways to Say: Heavily intoxicated / Lit up
36. Look through rose-colored glasses
Meaning: Seeing things too positively, sometimes influenced by drinks.
For Example: Drinking champagne made him look through rose-colored glasses. / She viewed the messy room through rose-colored glasses.
Other Ways to Say: See with optimism / Distorted view
37. Make merry
Meaning: To celebrate, feast, and enjoy alcoholic drinks together.
For Example: The villagers gathered around the fire to make merry. / Holidays are a great time to eat, drink, and make merry.
Other Ways to Say: Celebrate / Revel
38. Meeting at the local tap
Meaning: Gathering at a pub or bar to share drinks with friends.
For Example: The old friends enjoyed meeting at the local tap on Fridays. / They planned a meeting at the local tap after work.
Other Ways to Say: Visiting the pub / Going to the bar
39. Morning after
Meaning: The unpleasant morning feeling after drinking too much alcohol.
For Example: He woke up with a pounding headache on the morning after. / Regret often comes during the morning after a wild party.
Other Ways to Say: Day after / Hangover morning
40. Off the wagon
Meaning: Drinking alcohol again after trying to maintain sobriety.
For Example: Everyone noticed he was off the wagon at the reception. / Falling back into old habits means he is off the wagon.
Other Ways to Say: Drinking again / Broken sobriety
41. Paint the town red
Meaning: To go out into the city and drink and party all night.
For Example: The graduates went out to paint the town red. / They planned to paint the town red after winning the game.
Other Ways to Say: Party all night / Celebrate wildly
42. Pickled
Meaning: A slang word used to describe someone who is very drunk.
For Example: He ate too much fermented food and joked he was pickled. / After three drinks, he was completely pickled.
Other Ways to Say: Drunk / Intoxicated
43. Pint of ale
Meaning: A standard large glass serving of traditional beer.
For Example: He ordered a cold pint of ale at the counter. / They shared a pint of ale while watching the match.
Other Ways to Say: Glass of beer / Mug of brew
44. Pour a stiff one
Meaning: To pour a drink with a very high amount of alcohol.
For Example: The bartender decided to pour a stiff one for his regular customer. / He asked the host to pour a stiff one.
Other Ways to Say: Pour a strong drink / Heavy pour
45. Raise a glass
Meaning: To lift a drink in the air to toast someone’s health.
For Example: Let us raise a glass to congratulate the newlyweds. / Everyone stood up to raise a glass of champagne.
Other Ways to Say: Toast / Salute
46. Rum runner
Meaning: Someone who illegally transported alcoholic drinks in the past.
For Example: The historical museum had an exhibit about an old rum runner. / Stories of a rum runner always fascinated the children.
Other Ways toSay: Smuggler / Bootlegger
47. Sea of alcohol
Meaning: An enormous amount of drinks served at a huge party.
For Example: The wedding reception featured a veritable sea of alcohol. / He navigated through a sea of alcohol to find water.
Other Ways to Say: Ocean of drinks / Massive amount of booze
48. See double
Meaning: A blurry vision effect caused by drinking too much alcohol.
For Example: After too many cocktails, he started to see double. / Rubbing his eyes, he claimed he could see double.
Other Ways to Say: Blurred vision / Seeing two images
49. Shoot whiskey
Meaning: To swallow a shot of strong whiskey straight down.
For Example: He decided to shoot whiskey at the counter. / Some cowboys in movies like to shoot whiskey.
Other Ways to Say: Drink liquor straight / Take a shot
50. Soak the sponge
Meaning: An old expression for drinking a lot of alcohol.
For Example: The old sailors liked to soak the sponge at the tavern. / Spending all night at the bar meant soaking the sponge.
Other Ways to Say: Drink heavily / Gulp alcohol
51. Sour mash
Meaning: A specific type of grain mixture used to make whiskey.
For Example: The distillery was famous for making smooth sour mash. / He read about how sour mash is fermented.
Other Ways to Say: Whiskey mash / Fermented grain
52. Spirits high
Meaning: Feeling very joyful and energized during a celebration.
For Example: The drinks kept everyone’s spirits high throughout the night. / With spirits high, the crowd started to sing.
Other Ways to Say: Joyful mood / High energy
53. Stewed to the gills
Meaning: Being extremely intoxicated and unable to act normal.
For Example: He drank way too much punch and was stewed to the gills. / Being stewed to the gills ruined his evening.
Other Ways to Say: Very drunk / Heavily intoxicated
54. Swig from the bottle
Meaning: To drink alcohol straight from the container without a glass.
For Example: He took a quick swig from the bottle behind the shed. / Do not swig from the bottle in public.
Other Ways to Say: Drink directly / Take a gulp
55. Tippler
Meaning: An old word for someone who drinks small amounts of alcohol often.
For Example: The village shopkeeper was known as a quiet tippler. / Being a tippler means enjoying a casual glass of wine daily.
Other Ways to Say: Casual drinker / Social imbiber
56. Toast to your health
Meaning: To lift your drink and wish someone a long, healthy life.
For Example: Grandpa stood up to toast to your health at dinner. / We raised our glasses to toast to your health.
Other Ways to Say: Cheers / Salute
57. Under the influence
Meaning: Affected by drinking alcohol or taking other substances.
For Example: Driving a car while under the influence is illegal and dangerous. / He was arrested for being under the influence.
Other Ways to Say: Intoxicated / Impaired
58. Wet your whistle
Meaning: To have any drink, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, when thirsty.
For Example: He stopped at the pub to wet his whistle after work. / Grab some lemonade to wet your whistle on this hot day.
Other Ways to Say: Have a drink / Quench thirst
59. Wine and dine
Meaning: To treat someone to fine food and alcoholic drinks.
For Example: The company wanted to wine and dine their important clients. / They went out to wine and dine at a fancy restaurant.
Other Ways to Say: Treat to dinner / Host lavishly
60. Worst for wear
Meaning: Looking tired and messy after a night of heavy drinking.
For Example: He showed up at work the next morning looking worse for wear. / After the long party, everyone looked a bit worse for wear.
Other Ways to Say: Looking rough / Exhausted
Exercise to Practice
- After drinking too much at the party, he ended up blind ________.
- Please do not drive a car if you have had one too ________.
- He drank too many cocktails and started to see ________.
- Driving a vehicle while under the ________ is strictly illegal.
- She decided to stay as sober as a ________ to drive her friends home safely.
- The old miners nicknamed hearty dark ale liquid ________.
- Grandpa stood up at the family dinner table to toast to your ________.
- He woke up on the morning after with a terrible ________ headache.
- They raised their glasses of cider together and shouted bottoms ________!
- Drinking a cold glass of lemonade is a great way to wet your ________.
- The company took their important business clients out to wine and ________.
- After months of staying sober, he unfortunately fell off the ________.
- He drank a glass of wine for liquid ________ before giving his speech.
- The tired guest showed up at work the next morning looking worse for ________.
- He liked to bend an ________ with his coworkers on Friday evenings.
Answer Key
- drunk
- many
- double
- influence
- judge
- bread
- health
- hangover
- up
- whistle
- dine
- wagon
- courage
- wear
- elbow
Conclusion
Learning these idioms helps you understand English phrases that describe social drinking customs and historical expressions. When you know how to use these terms, you can recognize common sayings in conversations and literature.
Try noticing when people use these phrases in everyday stories or movies. You will see how colorful and creative English vocabulary can be!
