Do you drink? | 跟酒有關的片語
Do you drink? | 跟酒有關的片語
You don't have to drink to learn about these words.
Someone in class once said that she doesn’t understand the allure of alcoholic drinks. Aren’t they just the same as any other beverage? What makes them so special that some people speak about them with such passion? Well, we won’t attempt to answer in depth with a simple post, but
the social, historical and psychological aspect of alcohol might explain why humans have been consuming it for at least hundreds of years.
Let’s take a look at some phrases and vocabulary you may find interesting. If you’re part of my online classes, you may have already seen them.
Moonshine (n) 私釀酒
Moonshine is high-proof1 liquor2 which is made traditionally at home, and may be illegally distributed as well.
e.g. Moonshine usually is unaged whiskey.
Drown in sorrow 藉酒消愁
It is to try to forget one’s sadness, depression or problems by getting very drunk.
e.g. Jack got dumped3 by his girlfriend last night so give him a break and let him drown in his sorrow tonight.
It’s a sipper. 這酒很濃要慢慢喝
To sip is to drink slowly with small quantity each time.（小口喝）So if you describe a drink as a “sipper”, it means that normally it is strong and you may want to take small sips instead of big gulps.（咕嚕大口喝）
e.g. The cocktail may taste sweet but the bartender said it’s a sipper. So take it easy.
I’m a lightweight. 我容易醉酒量不好
Lightweight is a weight class used is combat sports4. In the context of drinking, it describes someone who cannot handle alcohol too well and gets drunk or sleepy easily.
e.g. Lisa is a lightweight so two beers can send her over the edge5.
A speakeasy 地下酒吧
Originated from the Prohibition era6 (1920s) in the US, a speakeasy (or speak) refers to a bar which is hidden and secretive. Right now it is used to describe bars which have that retro7 20’s style.
e.g. One of my favorite speaks in Taipei is called MOD and they specialize in whiskey.
To get a sense of the 1920’s prohibition era, check out a HBO original series called Boardwalk Empire 海濱帝國 , which embodies the chaos of alcohol and organized crime at the time.
👇 Check out the trailer 👇
high-proof (adj) 高酒精濃度的
liquor (n) 酒精；俗稱烈酒，如威士忌等
be/get dumped (ph) 俗話的被甩
combat sports (n) 格鬥運動
send someone over the edge (figure) 把人推過邊緣，指過頭、過多
Prohibition (n) 原意為禁止，在美國歷史指1920年代的短期禁酒令時期
retro (adj) 復古的