drank

(do something) to excess

To do or indulge in something too much. I started to lose weight once I stopped regularly eating to excess. I'll go to the pub with you guys, but I'm not drinking to excess tonight—I have to be up early tomorrow.
See also: excess

drink (oneself) silly

To drink alcohol to a point of extreme intoxication. Of course you don't remember last night at the bar—you drank yourself silly!
See also: drink, silly

drink (oneself) to sleep

To drink alcohol until one loses consciousness or is unable to stay awake any longer. You have to drink yourself to sleep each night? You might have a drinking problem, Jerry. Dad drank himself to sleep in his armchair again.
See also: drink, sleep

drink down

To drink all of something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "drink" and "down." This smoothie is gross—I really can't drink it down.
See also: down, drink

drink in

To absorb and enjoy something thoroughly. A noun or pronoun can be used between "drink" and "in." Let's stop for a moment and drink in this fresh mountain air. I'm glad I was able to drink in the excitement and joy of our wedding day before it was all over.
See also: drink

drink like a fish

To frequently drink a lot of alcohol. I'm not surprised to hear that Karl got drunk again last night—that guy drinks like a fish!
See also: drink, fish, like

drink off

To drink something very quickly, especially in a single gulp. A noun or pronoun can be used between "drink" and "off." The man drank off the whole pint of ale in one go. The doctor gave the vial of medicine to the patient, who drank it off without question.
See also: drink, off

drink to (someone or something)

1. To drink in honor of someone or something; to toast someone or something. Let's drink to our health! Tonight, we drink to Captain Murphy.
2. To drink alcohol to some extreme point or level. This is an important event for me, honey, so please don't drink to excess and make a fool of yourself. We were all drinking to oblivion, hammering back as much cheap beer and vodka as possible.
3. To drink alcohol in order to accomplish something (by being drunk). Lots of people drink to forget their problems, but their problems are always still there when they sober up. I started drinking to ease the pain from my injuries, and before long I was drunk for the better part of the day.
See also: drink

drink to excess

To drink alcohol to the point of intoxication. This is an important event for me, honey, so please don't drink to excess and make a fool of yourself.
See also: drink, excess

drink up

1. To drink all of something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "drink" and "up." This smoothie is gross—I really can't drink it up. Drink up your milk, dear, we don't want it to go to waste.
2. An instruction or expression of encouragement for one to finish one's drink. In this usage, it is a set phrase. Drink up, and I'll get us another round. Drink up! You only turn 21 once!
See also: drink, up

drink with the flies

To drink alone. Primarily heard in Australia. Come on, meet up with me at the bar! As it is, I'm just drinking with the flies, and it's depressing. Don't leave me here to drink with the flies—stay a little longer!
See also: drink, flies
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

drink like a fish

Fig. to drink alcohol excessively; to be in the habit of drinking alcohol excessively. Jeff really drank like a fish at the party on Saturday. I worry about Nancy; she drinks like a fish.
See also: drink, fish, like

drink something down

to drink something; to consume all of something by drinking it. Here, drink this down, and see if it makes you feel better. Drink down this medicine.
See also: down, drink

drink something in

Fig. to absorb something; to take in information, sights, a story, etc. Terry and Amy drove up to the top of the hill to drink the sights in. They drank in the beautiful view.
See also: drink

drink something up

to drink all of something that is served or that is on hand. Who drank all the root beer up? I drank up the root beer.
See also: drink, up

drink to excess

Euph. to drink too much alcohol; to drink alcohol continually. Mr. Franklin drinks to excess. Some people drink to excess only at parties.
See also: drink, excess
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

drink like a fish

Consume large amounts of alcoholic beverages, as in He always drinks like a fish at holiday dinners. The expression, first recorded in the mid-1600s, alludes to the way fish obtain oxygen, which causes them to be open-mouthed and appear to be constantly drinking.
See also: drink, fish, like
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

drink like a fish

INFORMAL
If someone drinks like a fish, they regularly drink a lot of alcohol. When I was younger I could drink like a fish and eat like a pig. The father was not too bad but the mother drank like a fish. Note: People used to believe that fish drank constantly because they breathe through open mouths.
See also: drink, fish, like
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

drink like a fish

drink excessive amounts of alcohol, especially habitually.
See also: drink, fish, like

drink with the flies

drink alone. Australian & New Zealand informal
1963 D. Whitington Mile Pegs ‘Have a drink?’ the larrikin invited. ‘Or do you prefer drinking with the flies?’
See also: drink, flies
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

drink like a ˈfish

(informal) regularly drink too much alcohol: Her husband drinks like a fish.
See also: drink, fish, like
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

drink in

v.
To take something in eagerly through the senses or the mind: The campers drank in the view of the sunset over the mountain lake. The shoreline was so beautiful that I stopped for a while to drink it in.
See also: drink

drink up

v.
To drink something completely: She drank the coffee up and set the cup on the counter. He drank up his milk and asked for more. Drink up—it's time to go.
See also: drink, up
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • (do something) to excess
  • do to excess
  • drink to excess
  • excess
  • wet (one's) whistle
  • wet one's whistle
  • wet whistle
  • wet your whistle
  • indulge in
  • indulge in (something)
References in periodicals archive
Even more remarkable, reporters covering Joe McCarthy knew he drank heavily but didn't report it until after his censure.
Governing under the influence; Washington alcoholics: their aides protect them, the media shields them
those who drank between one a month and six a week, and those who chose regular soft drinks were not more likely to suffer vascular events.
Drinking diet soft drinks daily may lead to stroke, heart attack
her sources' term?), especially during the 1920's, when workers deprived of taverns drank in clusters outside bottle shops.
Bolsheviks and the Bottle: Drink and Worker Culture in St. Petersburg, 1900- 1929
The habit of elite women to gossip over tea was seen as generally harmless, but working-class women who drank tea came in for harsher criticism, as they were seen to be relaxing rather than working, and spending scarce family resources on an unnecessary luxury.
The Essence of Commodification: Caffeine dependencies in the early modern world
During the next month, each person drank four 8-ounce cups of either tea or water daily.
Teasing out tea's heart-healthy effect
But active girls who drank colas were five times more likely to have broken a bone than active girls who drank no cola.
BROKEN BONES & COLAS
Drunken men, and particularly those who drank habitually, were exceptions to the rule that a man's business was inviolable.
RISKY BUSINESS: THE UNCERTAIN BOUNDARIES OF MANHOOD IN THE MIDWESTERN SALOON
I drank wine all the time when I was pregnant." [16] But had she in fact put her children at risk or was FAS found only in the offspring of severely alcoholic women?
"AN ARGUMENT THAT GOES BACK TO THE WOMB": THE DEMEDICALIZATION OF FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME, 1973-1992
The Harvard Nurses' Health Study, the major study of the connection between drinking and mortality among women, found that about three-quarters of all subjects had at least one such risk factor and were likely to live longer if they drank moderately.
Bottle Battle
Americans drank twice as many soft drinks in 1997 as they did in 1973 and 43 percent more than in 1985.
LIQUID CANDY
Before treatment, volunteers, on average, drank on 25 out of 30 days, a number that fell to 6 days of drinking per month by the end of the follow-up.
Alcoholics synonymous: heavy drinkers of all stripes may get comparable help from a variety of therapies
After dealing with stereotypes in which he reminds his readers that pre-Revolutionary era Indians "never drank that much" (p.
Deadly Medicine: Indians and Alcohol in Early America
And birth defects were reported in the children of three women who drank 8 to 25 cups of coffee a day.(3) In 1980, based largely on the animal evidence, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised pregnant women to "avoid caffeine-containing foods and drugs, if possible, or consume them only sparingly."
Caffeine: the inside scoop
Legislators drank while in session; communion wine was part of Protestant services; the tavern was a family-oriented gathering place; and tavern keepers were highly respected members of the community.
Getting wetter?
The researchers asked participants about their drinking habits, including how often they drank, the type of alcohol consumed, and how much they drank.
Woman drinking alcohol: when less is more