Drink like a fish
Meaning
To drink a very large quantity of alcohol, or to drink excessively and frequently.
Origin
The phrase "drink like a fish" captures a simple, yet vivid, metaphor from the natural world. Fish, eternally immersed in water, constantly draw it in through their gills for respiration, creating the enduring impression of creatures perpetually 'drinking.' This ceaseless intake, crucial for their survival, was humorously, and often disapprovingly, applied to humans who consumed copious amounts of alcohol. The idiom likely solidified in English common parlance as a memorable and somewhat sardonic way to describe someone whose liquid consumption rivaled the very creatures of the deep in its volume and frequency.
Examples
- After his team won the championship, he went out to celebrate and drank like a fish all night.
- Every New Year's Eve party, my uncle always drinks like a fish, much to my aunt's dismay.