13 DRINKING - my American friend

my American friend

M - This episode is going to be about …. DRINKING ! C - We know that many of our listeners study English in order to travel around the globe and make new friends. When you hang out with those new friends it's likely that you’ll have a drink together and you may need to know some specific words and expressions about drinking. M - Ok, listeners, make sure to read the transcript of this episode. Now, let's imagine we're having a drink somewhere in the States... C - How about the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles? Plenty of cool bars and clubs there, Whisky a Go-go, Rainbow, House of Blues , Roxy, Viper... M - Nice choice, among the regular clients of those bars you get to see rockstars and actors, you're likely to spot some celebrity, like, every night out there. C - But before you order your cocktail, enjoy the live music and make friends with Steven Tyler or Slash you'd better revise some vocabulary with me, Marta, ok? M - Ok, let me get a bottle of wine and two glasses. C - Now, it's common to have a drink together when you’re celebrating something, right? For example we can celebrate that our podcast was number one on the Podomatic chart last week. M - Ok, so what should I say while I CLINK GLASSES ? C - Let's TOAST TO our podcast and to our listeners! Or we could say : let's DRINK TO... let's DRINK A TOAST TO.... or : let's RAISE OUR GLASSES TO or FOR.... M - CHEERS ! C - Cheers! M - Mmmm, delicious! C - Marta, you're taking small SIPS, com'on, DOWN IT IN ONE GO! Or I could also say : SLAM IT ! M - All right, but that's it for me. I CAN'T HOLD MY DRINK, one glass is more than enough. C - You GET DRUNK very easily, don't you? M - Well, it's not that I get drunk, I just ...fall asleep! C - Uh, that wouldn't be good if you fell asleep now. Steven Tyler and Slash just bought us another ROUND OF DRINKS ! M - I know, I know, it's not my fault, I just fall asleep. I'd better have some soda with Steve Vai who I'm pretty sure doesn't drink any alcohol. C - I didn't know he was a TEETOTALER ? Ok, so you and Steve Vai are going to be our designated drivers, right? M - Ok, ok. I've been the designated driver my whole life! Well, at least I don't have to SOBER UP the following day. No headache, no HANGOVER. C - Oh, Marta, have you seen that movie, “The hangover”? M - That's hilarious! C - It’s got to be one of my favorite movies of all-time. It's about a group of friends who wake up in Vegas having no memory of what they've done the previous night, after a wild bachelor party for one of them. And that's what happens when you're DEAD DRUNK : you have a great time and the next day- you can’t remember a thing! Doesn’t seem to be much sense in it, does it? M – Yeah. Everyone, be careful, you can get into trouble if you drink too much and you lose control. Cindy, can you think of any idiom or expression about those people who drink too much? C - “TO DRINK LIKE A FISH”, that's drinking a lot. M - To drink like a fish. Ok. C - And to be really drunk is : TO BE WASTED, TO BE SLOSHED, PICKLED... there are so many expressions. M - And how about BINGE DRINKING ? What is it? C – Oh, binge drinking is an extreme form of drinking, that would be overdoing it. M - How about those people who drink because they're sad ? C - We say that : they DRINK THEIR PROBLEMS AWAY, they DROWN THEIR SORROWS. M - Ok, anything else? C - I have a funny song about drinking to suggest. M - Which one? C - “Alcohol” by Brad Paisley. M - You're right! It's a really cool song! And now that you make me think about it, there is something interesting Brad says in the lyrics of that song, he says: “I'll bet you a drink or two that I can make you....”do something, whatever. C - Yes, for example, if we're watching a football match we can BET A DRINK on the winner. If your team wins I'll pay for our drinks and vice versa. Or you can use this expression when you are challenging someone. Marta, this song is too difficult, I'll bet a drink that you can't sing it. M - You do? Ok, you'd better prepare your wallet, I'm getting thirsty! C - I was just kidding! M – So was I. C – And everyone, let's make it clear once again: hanging out with your friends having a drink or two is just great, drinking a little more on special occasions is ok, but alcohol can turn into a serious addiction, so, be responsible. M - Well, listeners, we went through a lot of vocabulary, so check it out in our transcript and come visit us on podomatic.com, martainnocenti.com, facebook, twitter and iTunes. Before we go let me thank some of our listeners : Bairma, Natalia, Zainal and our dear friends Tatsuro and Reza. C - See you soon with a new episode! M – Bye bye! ***************************** to CLINK GLASSES : To touch (making a ‘’clink’’ sound) glasses during a toast. Toasts can be made with non-alcoholic drinks as well. Let's TOAST TO / let's DRINK TO... / let's DRINK A TOAST TO.... / let's RAISE OUR GLASSES TO or FOR.... : Ways to say let’s celebrate or honor something with a drink. to TAKE SMALL SIPS : To drink slowly, taking small mouthfuls at a time. DOWN IT IN ONE GO! / SLAM IT ! : To finish the beverage all at once. I CAN'T HOLD MY DRINK : Alcohol intolerant, to become intoxicated or sick from alcohol easily. TO GET DRUNK : Ingesting too much alcohol before the liver has a chance to metabolize it, the result is inebriation and impaired judgment. to BUY A ROUND OF DRINKS : To buy beverages for everyone at your table, group or bar. Watch out! That can be very expensive! to be a TEETOTALER : Someone who does not drink alcoholic beverages. to SOBER UP : When the body has metabolized all alcohol and you are feeling normal again. HANGOVER : The after effects of too much alcohol. These may include headache, dehydration, nausea & fatigue. to be DEAD DRUNK / WAISTED / SLOSHED / PICKLED : Severely impaired by too much alcohol. BINGE DRINKING : Consuming a dangerous amount of alcohol at one occasion. they DRINK THEIR PROBLEMS AWAY / they DROWN THEIR SORROWS : The attempt to relieve or forget problems through the use of alcohol. to BET A DRINK : A challenge where there winner receives a drink from losing person. Example of a challenge: JOHN: Your team is awful! I’ll bet they can’t even score a goal during the first half of the game! STEVE: You’re wrong! My team is awesome! JOHN: Ok, you’re on! What should we bet? STEVE: I’ll bet you a pint of beer! JOHN: You’re on! If your terrible team makes a goal in the first half of the game- then I’ll buy you a beer. STEVE: Well, take your wallet out of your pocket because they just scored- and I’m thirsty!