Casualphrase
alzare il gomito
to drink too much, to hit the bottle
Literal Translation
"to raise the elbow"
Formal Equivalent
bere troppo, eccedere con l'alcol
Examples in Context
"Ieri ha alzato un po' troppo il gomito."
"Yesterday he drank a bit too much."
"Non alzare il gomito stasera, che domani lavori!"
"Don't drink too much tonight, you work tomorrow!"
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Cultural Note
This elegant euphemism — the motion of raising your elbow to drink — is a gentler way to say someone drank too much. It's often used with humor and affection, softer than saying someone got a sbronza. Italians prefer these indirect expressions when discussing excess.
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