People Drink Alcohol Drinking Happy Hour Handle Stop

American English has many "terms" (technical words) and phrases to describe people who do and don't drink alcohol. For example, someone who drinks a lot might be called a a "drunkard" or a "lush" informally. Someone who doesn't drink alcohol at all is known as a "tea-totaler," even if he or she doesn't drink tea.

A person who "can't handle his or her alcohol" is someone who gets drunk very quickly and loses control after just one or two drinks. Sometimes people say that someone "can't handle his or her booze," where "booze" is an informal word for alcohol.

An "alcoholic" is a person who is addicted to alcohol and cannot stop drinking. Sometimes these people try to stop drinking. When they are not drinking, people say that they are "on the wagon." If they have a bad day and begin to drink again, then people say that they have "fallen off the wagon." A "wagon" is an old-fashioned wooden structure on wheels that is pulled by horses to move people and things. When an alcoholic permanently stops drinking, her or she is known as a "recovering alcoholic" and often says this to other people so that they will understand why he or she is not drinking.

When groups of friends go to a bar together, usually one of them will not drink alcohol, instead choosing coffee or soda. This person is known as the "designated driver" and is the person who will drive everyone else home at the end of the night. That way, there aren't any problems with "drunk driving," where someone drives a car dangerously because he or she is being influenced by alcohol.