a few too many
8
7.7
- idiom
- Informal
:
demasiados
- I may have accidentally put in a few too many pills.
- a few too many drinks
- a few too many beers
Who hasn't, Who hasn't gone out for a tornado and had a few too many?
- Who hasn't, Who hasn't gone out for a tornado and had a few too many?
- He was this guy who went to prison because he had a few too many drinks one night and hit a little girl with his car.
Examples
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Had a few too many drinks at a bar one night, got behind the wheel, never made it home.
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After a few minutes, he came to his senses, realised shrewdly that he wasn't dead after all, and after only a few too many brandies, lurched off home.
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We have had a few too many tonight.
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Oh, I had a few too many last night.
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I think you've had a few too many of these already.
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Oh, he's just had a few too many cocktails.
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Everyone has gone to a bar, had a few too many, and ended up screaming along to a song that came on the jukebox.
Blog text (23) -
She had a few too many drinks and ended up vomiting in a parking lot.
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He could tell by the way she swayed on her high heels that she'd had a few too many.
Fiction book (1997) -
After having a few too many at the party, she decided to take a taxi home.
Synonyms
∞
1.2
More than is needed or healthy
108
3.3
An amount more than needed or allowed
7
5.7
Too much of something that is not needed
An amount that is more than is needed, often extra food or goods
How Many
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'few' and 'too many' individually signal a small number and excess, so a learner who knows these words can plausibly infer that 'a few too many' means 'a slightly excessive amount'. However the phrase encodes a conventionalized nuance ('a small excess' often of alcohol or food) that is more of a fixed collocation than a fully literal composition, so some exposure helps to confirm the exact pragmatic meaning.
Etymology
A few too many gives a simple picture: someone takes a few extra drinks or items and ends up with too many. So, it means 'more than one should have had', often about food or drink.