Vocabulary In the News : 06 March 2010 – The Journal (Newcastle, UK)

The main story from the front page concerns the tragic story of an ex-lawyer whose life was destroyed because he hit the bottle after the breakup of his marriage.

Jimmy Grogan descended into a downward spiral of alcoholism as his life careered out of control before hitting rock bottom. He lost his lucrative job as a lawyer and his alcohol addiction trapped him in a vicious circle of crime causing him to appear in courts but no longer as the lawyer but as the criminal.

Unfortunately, he is now crippled with pancreatitis and chronic liver disease and his doctors have given him only a few months to live. With his remaining days, Mr. Grogan has decided to speak out about his alcoholism and warn others about the devastating effects of turning to the bottle. Full story >>

 

 

 

 

to hit the bottle	-	to start drinking a lot of alcohol
to descend into a downward spiral	-	to deteriorate, to slowly be destroyed, to decline
to career out of control	-	to be in a situation in which you loose control because things are happening quickly
to hit rock bottom	-	to arrive at the lowest possible level
a vicious circle	-	a process in which the existence of a problem causes other problems, and this makes the original problem worse
crippled	-	physically disabled, severely damaged
to speak out	-	to state your opinion firmly and publicly about something, especially in order to protest against or defend something
to turn to the bottle	-	to start drinking alcohol in an attempt to help yourself when you are having difficulty dealing with a situation

Note: most definitions for vocabulary on this blog are taken or adapted from www.macmillandictionary.com

Funny Quotes About Alcohol & Beer

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” - Benjamin Franklin (American inventor, publisher and politician)

“Alcohol may be man's worst enemy, but the Bible says love your enemy.” – Frank Sinatra (American singer and actor)

“Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer.” – Dave Barry (American humorist and writer)

“Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.” – Dave Barry (American humorist and writer)

“You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline - it helps if you have some kind of a football team, or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer” – Frank Zappa (American composer, musician and director)

"Well ya see, Norm, it's like this... A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers."
- Cliff Clavin (TV character from “Cheers”)

"If beer and women aren't the answer, then you're asking the wrong questions." - Anonymous

Culture Spot : Lagers* of Our Leaders - A Look Back at What US Presidents Have Imbibed**

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/01/lagers-leaders-look-presidents-imbibed/

F.D.R. threw keggers and J.F.K. was a Heineken man, while Theodore Roosevelt didn't touch the stuff.

Wall Street Journal / FOXNews.com

Saturday, August 01, 2009

The most pressing question of the week was what brands of brew would be quaffed at the White House "beer summit," the presidential peer-mediation between the Harvard prof and the Cambridge cop. Some foodie followers were dismayed to hear that President Obama chose to drink Bud Light, which some dismiss as the very symbol of corporate, mass-produced, flavorless beer-like product.

No one makes a fuss over what brand of coffee is dripping in the White House kitchen. But the quality and nationality of alcoholic drinks bring out high passions.

This is a rather recent obsession. French wines were commonplace at 1600 Pennsylvania up until Lyndon Johnson made drinking American a matter of national pride. He banished the old parlez-vous mouthwash, not only in the president's house, but also at every embassy and government function. The main effect of this was that for years the only fizzy wine in the White House was New York "champagne."

Johnson was rebelling against the worldly chic of the Kennedy years, when Dom Perignon was the house wine. John Kennedy not only liked bubbly, he was a man for Daiquiris and could be found to discuss nuclear deterrence strategy over gin and tonics. But his standard refreshment was beer, and his tastes did not run to the domestic stuff. J.F.K. was a Heineken man.

Oh for the days when there would have been a beer that the president served without a lot of fussy fuss over who wanted exactly what.

Say what you will about the advisability of Thursday's "beer summit," but one thing was clear: It was the most momentous moment for White House suds in three-quarters of a century.

The last time the question of presidential beer was considered quite so newsworthy came in spring of 1933, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt acted to make 3.2 beer legal, setting the stage for the elimination of Prohibition altogether. At the stroke of midnight, April 7, beer started flowing, and within minutes a shiny new truck from Washington's Abner-Drury Brewery was hurtling down a rain-slick Pennsylvania Ave, led by an escort of motorcycle cops. Inside the truck were two cases of freshly brewed beer; outside was a banner proclaiming, "President Roosevelt, the first real beer is yours!" Other beer makers were quick to follow suit. No dummy, F.D.R. had the bottles distributed to the thirsty gentlemen of the press.

Theodore Roosevelt, by contrast, did not drink beer. We know this because we have his testimony, under oath: "I do not drink beer," T.R. told the jury in the little burg of Ishpeming, Mich., nearly a century ago.

There have been teetotalers in office, but the great presidential beer villain, of course, was Woodrow Wilson who, during World War I, signed a law shutting down the nation's breweries.

*a lager – une bière blonde

**to imbibe – boire

Read the companion article ‘Teachable Moment’ Observed With Beer by Elizabeth Williamson and John Hechinger of the Wall Street Journal

 

Expand your beer vocabulary by reading the Wikipedia articles about:

Beer

Lager

Ale

Vocabulary in the News: France to Increase Drinking Age

Taken from: http://www.lost-in-france.com/french-news/1064-france-to-increase-drinking-age

The national assembly have voted to raise the legal age limit for alcohol and tobacco sales in France from 16 to 18 which if passed would bring France in line with most of the EU

The new law is partly designed as part of a crackdown on teenage binge drinking in France which has been rising steadily over recent years, with alcohol related hospital admissions for minors up by 50 percent between 2004 and 2007.

Also under the new legislation petrol stations will no longer be able to sell alcohol and the increasingly popular 'open bars' where customers can drink as much as they like for a set price will also be banned.

Wine tasting was excluded from the ban after mounting pressure from winegrowers who saw the legislation as a threat to their already suffering industry.

According to government figures France ranks 11th place in the world with regards to alcohol consumption with each person drinking on average 9 litres per year which works out a whopping 121,828,845 gallons for the whole country.

The law still has to be approved by the French Senate but this is expected to be just a formality and is scheduled for next month.

legal age limit	-	the minimum age required to do any particular action EX. The legal age limit to buy cigarettes in the United States is 18.
to bring in line	-	to bring into conformity EX. They had to make some adjustments to the aircraft to bring it in line with European codes.
a crackdown	-	a resorting to strict or stricter measures of discipline or punishment EX. Police are set to launch a major crackdown on bicyclists not respecting traffic regulations.
binge drinking	-	the practice of drinking excessive amounts of alcohol regularly EX. Binge drinking can be dangerous and result in vomiting, loss of sensory perception and blackouts.
steadily (adv.)	-	in a regular and uniform manner without changing EX. Many Americans believe that the right to protect oneself is steadily being eroded by politicians.
over (prep.)	-	during; through EX. Over the past year, the number of demonstrations against the government have slowly increased.
alcohol-related	-	connected to or associated with alcohol use EX. According to the news, last night’s fatal car crash was alcohol-related.
a set price	-	a fixed price EX. This internet provider has a set price for internet, television and telephone access.
banned (adj.)	-	forbidden by law EX. The book Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie is banned in Iran for blasphemy.
a ban	-	a prohibition imposed by law or official decree EX. The Obama administration will seek to reinstate the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004 during the Bush administration.
mounting (adj.)	-	increasing, growing EX. China is resisting mounting pressure to cut CO2 emissions
to rank	-	to hold a position EX. The Unites States ranks 7th among most competitive countries in travel and tourism sector.
to work out	-	to have a specified result EX. The ration works out to an odd number.
whopping	-	exceptionally or unusually large EX. The price of gasoline fell by a whopping 40 percent.
to be scheduled	-	to be planned for a certain time or date EX. My job interview with the human resources director is scheduled for next Monday.