Every country has its drinking culture. In some places there is little or no alcohol, and in some there is too much. And sometimes, one culture adopts the habits of another. This is especially clear in France, where binge drinking has become such a common occurrence that the French General Commission of Terminology and Neology — the organization responsible for promoting the French language and protecting it from the influx of too many foreign words and phrases — had to come up with a specific French expression. “Beuverie express” became the official term, and according to Le Monde, in order to reach it you must consume four to five glasses in less than two hours.
Like it or not, alcohol certainly plays a role in travel, whether it’s drinking a beachside cocktail or exploring a traditional brewery in Brussels. Hopefully your travel drinking plans are a little more moderate, and if so, here’s a list of useful drinking-related expressions in 7 different cultures.
1. Marié ou pendu à la fin de l’année – A French expression, “Married or hung by the end of the year” is said to the person who gets the last drop from the wine bottle.
2. Beber como una esponja – Spanish for “to drink like a sponge,” in other words, someone that likes their cocktails.3. Flat out like a lizard drinking – Australian for someone who’s very busy, with or without drinks.
4. 干杯 “Ganbei” – The Chinese version of “cheers.”
5. Ram phan tram – Vietnamese for “bottom’s up,” literally meaning “100%.”
6. May you always have a clean shirt, a clear conscience and enough coins in your pocket to buy a pint! – An Irish toast. Be sure to follow it up with ‘Sláinte!’ (pronounced ‘slawn-cha’) which means “health.”
7. Mabuhay – If you’re cheersing in the Philippines, follow up a toast in Tagalog with this word which means “to live” or “long life.”
Our friends at AOL Travel are celebrating Booze Week this week, with stories about the intersection of drinks and travel.