What Does Booze It Up Mean?

Booze It Up Meaning

Definition: To drink heavily.

This is a casual, informal way to talk about drinking excessively. It is more than one or two drinks; one must get quite drunk to have boozed it up. Typically a person boozes it up in a group; it is less common to say booze it up if you are drinking alone.

This expression is used primarily by teens and young adults.

Origin of Booze It Up

meaning of booze it upBooze was an 18th-century verb and later a noun, first meaning to drink a lot. It is a variation of bouse, a Middle English word, and busen, a Middle Dutch word, both meaning to drink heavily.

In Jerry Thomas’ Bar-Tenders Guide from 1862, he writes,

  • Mix lemon balm, slices of cucumber, borage, lemon peel, 1gill ratafia of raspberries, 2 bottles German seltzer water, and booze of your own choosing though we recommend gin, brandy, and/or sherry.

In New Zealand, a drinking binge was called a boozeroo from around the time of World War II.

Examples of Booze It Up

expression booze it upIn the modern day, people use this phrasal verb to talk informally about drinking.

For example, a group of friends might say,

  • Let’s booze it up tonight.

If you have work the next day, your coworkers might say of your and your friends,

  • I heard they boozed it up big-time last night; they’re not feeling great today.

Instead of saying, “Do you want to drink later?” it is more fun to say to a friend, “Want to booze it up later?”

Here is an example dialogue of two coworkers discussion each other’s plan for the night,

Autumn: What are you doing after work/

Ciara: I don’t have any plans. What’s up?

Autumn: Want to booze it up? We can go to a bar.

Ciara: Sure! That sounds fun. Who else is going?

Autumn: Probably Zak and Jordan.

Ciara: Sounds fun!

More Examples

  • Designate a driver and get ready to laugh (and booze) it up – and take a moment to sigh over what is arguably Carrie Fisher’s funniest role. –The Washington Post
  • What they found is that the “most desirable” single gal in New York City is a 25-year-old Catholic who owns a pooch, is fit and boozes it up about three times a week. –New York Post

Summary

If a person is drinking heavily, usually in a group or with some friends, it can be said he is boozing it up.

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