What do you interpret when someone says we're going drinking!

MyKeyG

I know there have been loads of threads about culture and attitude but two particular instances hit me recently that made me think about the default attitude to drinking.

One was when my cousin told his mate he was going on detox for a month and was therefore off the booze. To which his friend replied 'Are you not going to Doug's going away party?' I found it curious that he interpreted 'I'm giving up drink' as 'I'm giving up socialising' as in he had no capacity to observe the two as separate activities.

The other was when I was talking to my friend the other night. I told her I went to my brothers for New Years Eve and while I couldn't drink I fancied having a few. Her reply was 'Ah sure at least you avoided the hangover'. Again I was a little surprised that her natural inclination to the expression 'I fancied a few drinks' naturally meant drinking sufficient to having a killer hangover.

You hear it all the time. 'It'll be a messy night', 'I won't remember a bit of it' etc...as if people naturally anticipate that drinking and drunkenness are synonymous. If you were honest what is your expectation when someone says the phrase 'fancy a few'.

admiralofthefleet

do you?

i go out to enjoy myself, not get drunk. on new years eve i left a party after 6 cans stone cold sober and had one of the best new years ever

saa

No I go out to see friends.

saa

I could get drunk at home sitting in the dark and crying if I wanted to have a good time.

Biggins

MyKeyG wrote: »

Do you go out to get drunk?

No. That would be completely stupid I feel!

I go out to unwind, catch-up with friends and stay informed.

im invisible

Not with the specific intention of getting drunk, but after 8 pints plus, thats usually what happens...

Laisurg

That's pretty much what I do, yeah.

brummytom

MyKeyG wrote: »

I know there have been a lot of

Did you forget to finish that sentence?





And yeah I do, I don't really see the point going out otherwise.

The_Kew_Tour

No, I go out to have good time with friends, but ya I do get drunk the odd time;)

Gandalph

Drunk goes out to get me

vtec_vixen

I go out generally to enjoy myself and catch up with friends etc.
I think the last time my mission was solely to get sloshed was when I was about 17/18

But sure most ppl get drunk when they go out;);)

MackQ

MyKeyG wrote: »

I know there have been a lot of

Did you just get drunk there?

hidinginthebush

Quite the opposite. I don't really enjoy the feeling of being overly drunk anymore, so when I get the way I usually switch to water for the rest of the night or go home.

MungBean

Think I'm getting old, when I go out I make a conscious effort not to get drunk.

But yeah I'd imagine the main point for most people is getting drunk and then using it as an excuse to blow off steam without having to actually bear any responsibility.

Spent €150.
Danced like a spastic.
Eat the face off some fat bird.
Punched this guy in the back of the head.
Eat 3 taco chips.
Fell asleep in the toilet of the chipper.
Puked all over myself.
Woke up in a wheelie bin.

Good night to most people and they cant be held responsible for their actions as they were hammered.

MyKeyG

I know there have been loads of threads about culture and attitude but two particular instances hit me recently that made me think about the default attitude to drinking.

One was when my cousin told his mate he was going on detox for a month and was therefore off the booze. To which his friend replied 'Are you not going to Doug's going away party?' I found it curious that he interpreted 'I'm giving up drink' as 'I'm giving up socialising' as in he had no capacity to observe the two as separate activities.

The other was when I was talking to my friend the other night. I told her I went to my brothers for New Years Eve and while I couldn't drink I fancied having a few. Her reply was 'Ah sure at least you avoided the hangover'. Again I was a little surprised that her natural inclination to the expression 'I fancied a few drinks' naturally meant drinking sufficient to having a killer hangover.

You hear it all the time. 'It'll be a messy night', 'I won't remember a bit of it' etc...as if people naturally anticipate that drinking and drunkenness are synonymous. If you were honest what is your expectation when someone says the phrase 'fancy a few'.

miller50841

Whenever I get the chance to go out which isnt very often sometimes you just get drunk before you know it but dont go out with intention of doing so. Here is to a hopefully better new year and plenty of dirty beer

Agricola

No.

Cant understand people who will only go out when they are planning to get twisted. A friend in college who ironically was a "mature" student had this attitude. On the odd occasion when we had a free class and there wasnt anything particularly pressing to be done, Id suggest we go to the college pub for one, solitary pint. He wouldnt hear of it! Couldnt understand the thinking behind spending 4 quid on a pint when he wasnt going to swallow off another 6 on top of it!

Weird.

Biggins

Depends on the person that says it.

I know a few that says "I'm going out for a few" (or words to that effect) and that usually means they will end up drink in a stupor collapsed somewhere.
Others I know say the same and will chat, have more sober fun and go home in better condition without having to suffer the next day.

Katgurl

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

do you?

i go out to enjoy myself, not get drunk. on new years eve i left a party after 6 cans stone cold sober and had one of the best new years ever

I cannot make sense of this - you drank six cans of BEER and think you were stone cold sober?

EdenHazard

something that i always stood by 'only drink if your gonna get locked' i dont think ive ever had a casual alcoholic drink, i'd rather a coke if it was taste i was after

and ha to that guy for me 6 cans would be a lot to get through, i get locked so easily off beer, normally drink a 70cl of vodka

MyKeyG

MyKeyG wrote: »

One was when my cousin told his mate he was going on detox for a month and was therefore off the booze. To which his friend replied 'Are you not going to Doug's going away party?' I found it curious that he interpreted 'I'm giving up drink' as 'I'm giving up socialising' as in he had no capacity to observe the two as separate activities..

That's because for a lot of people, the two are one and the same, and it's fcuking sad. Can't drink? -> can't go out.
god forbid you want to spend any time with your friends

MyKeyG

brummytom wrote: »

Did you forget to finish that sentence?

Sorry guys fixed my OP. Don't know what happened there. First time using a poll!!! Had some particular examples!

admiralofthefleet

Katgurl wrote: »

I cannot make sense of this - you drank six cans of BEER and think you were stone cold sober?

yeah, 6 cans of guinness. id had a shitload of food over the evening so i had a george best overcoat on

MyKeyG

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

do you?

i go out to enjoy myself, not get drunk. on new years eve i left a party after 6 cans stone cold sober and had one of the best new years ever

No but my situation is peculiar. I stopped drinking because I was drinking 18 cans a day. I was self treating anxiety.

For all the drinking I've done in my life for whatever reasons it was never a conscious effort to get bladdered and for the life of me I could never understand people who did.

summerskin

Katgurl wrote: »

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

do you?

i go out to enjoy myself, not get drunk. on new years eve i left a party after 6 cans stone cold sober and had one of the best new years ever

I cannot make sense of this - you drank six cans of BEER and think you were stone cold sober?

Think you'll find most men over 25 would be sober after 6 pints, an many under 25 too. 6 is a nice social drink, like a Sunday afternoon drink.

Peetrik

MyKeyG wrote: »

Do you go out and get drunk?

I definitely do, I'm an utter binger. Nothing in my life is in moderation including sports and fitness, its all in the extreemes.

So when I do go out 'drinking' then I tend to get blotto.

brummytom

Katgurl wrote: »

I cannot make sense of this - you drank six cans of BEER and think you were stone cold sober?

Everyone's got different limits. I also think whether you feel drunk or not depends a lot on the mood you were in when you went out. Like last Monday, I went out with friends, up for a good night, had about 10, maybe 11, and was absolutely gone. Then went out with the same on the Wednesday, but wasn't really in the mood. Had maybe 15+ pints but couldn't get drunk at all. I don't know if anyone else finds that?


Anyway, I chose the first option. As of now, I'm on my own there. I don't know why. Why go drinking if you don't want to get drunk? You might as well just go to a Starbucks.

MyKeyG

summerskin wrote: »

Think you'll find most men over 25 would be sober after 6 pints, an many under 25 too. 6 is a nice social drink, like a Sunday afternoon drink.

Stone cold sober is a bit of an exaggeration to be fair. I mean after one drink you're clinically intoxicated.

MyKeyG

brummytom wrote: »

Anyway, I chose the first option. As of now, I'm on my own there. I don't know why. Why go drinking if you don't want to get drunk? You might as well just go to a Starbucks.

Do you not think there's a difference between a buzz and complete inebriation?

Agricola

Katgurl wrote: »

I cannot make sense of this - you drank six cans of BEER and think you were stone cold sober?

We have a word for 6 cans of guinness in my neck of the woods - an Apéritif!

admiralofthefleet

Agricola wrote: »

We have a word for 6 cans of guinness in my neck of the woods - an Apéritif!

yeah, 6 cans is only a rinse

Agricola

brummytom wrote: »

Why go drinking if you don't want to get drunk? You might as well just go to a Starbucks.

Personally i think it comes down to whether or not you actually enjoy a drink on its own merits. Some people say they would murder a cup of tea, others say they would murder a pint. Ive often felt the latter and like nothing more than going for one or two pints and a chat. Alcohol doesnt just have to be a means to an end.

Liam Byrne

Can't understand the compulsion to go out TO get drunk - if there's an unwelcome minor side-effect to a good night out then fair enough, but the intention should be to have a fun night in good company.

Fortunately most of those I head out with are mature enough so when they ask if I'm heading out for a few I know what they mean and I don't end up having a ****e night with embarrassing hammered people puking and making a nuisance of themselves.

mconigol

This is usually me. Which is why I'm giving it up (again unfortunately).

Johnny Foreigner

Alcohol is a good servant but a bad master.
In times of economic bust people drink more to escape from reality.
It has always been the case, social attitudes and habits alter to mirror the economy.
In Victorian London the poor people used to get drunk in gin palaces. It was a way of alleviating the depression from their poor living conditions.
Binge drinking really became popular during the Celtic Tiger years, and now many women in particular are suffering the heath consequences of this culture of excess during the boom. The work hard, play hard culture eroded Irish society. Many people now have had a taste of the good times during the Celtic Tiger, and are depressed that they can't have that lifestyle any more. So they binge drink, its all they have to escape from the stresses of daily life.

hidinginthebush

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

Agricola wrote: »

We have a word for 6 cans of guinness in my neck of the woods - an Apéritif!

yeah, 6 cans is only a rinse

6 cans of Guinness would rinse your arse out for ya alright