Also:
hit the booze
be on the bottle
Hit the Bottle Meaning
To hit the bottle means to go on a drinking binge; to get drunk; to drink a large amount of alcoholic beverage; to drink or start to drink excessive amounts of alcohol habitually or usually 1Spears, Richard A. McGraw-Hill’s American Idioms Dictionary. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2008.,2Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.,3Jarvie, Gordon. Bloomsbury Dictionary of Idioms. London: Bloomsbury, 2009.,4Ayto, John. [http://amzn.to/2vdGvI7 Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms]. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010.
Usage Notes
The idiom hit the bottle usually implies that someone drinks a great deal habitually and often, the further implication is that they drink to escape their problems.
Sentence Examples
“When the university found out the professor had been hitting the bottle again, they insisted that he go to rehab.”
“I found out recently that my brother, who has been sober for ten years, is hitting the bottle again.”
“He lost his job and began hitting the bottle every evening. Now he’s on the booze all day.”
“He hit the bottle pretty hard after his wife died but that only lasted for a few months before he got his act together.”
“My father only hits the bottle on the weekends but he gets totally plastered sometimes.’
“That’s what happens when you hit the bottle. You go to sleep in Dukesberry, you wake up in Pukesberry.” — Eight Crazy Nights (2002)
“Did you hurt yourself?” “No, I’m fine. Oh. – I just…You haven’t been hitting the bottle lately, have you?” — The Lady Eve (1941)
“Brian, don’t you think it’s a little too early to be hitting the booze?” “Why wait? You gotta live life while you can and live it hard.”— Family Guy: Brian Sings & Swings (2006)
Origin
Used since the late 1800s.
