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Glite Dictionary
for the road

for the road

21 8.0
A final drink with alcohol you have before leaving a social event
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : una copa para el camino
  • Let's have one last drink for the road before we leave the party.
  • one for the road
  • more for the road
  • snack for the road

Examples

  • "One for the road" was a farewell staple for Jesse, a maxim he interpreted literally.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • How 'bout a cup of coffee for the road, Grace?

    Bus Stop (1956)

  • Oh, give me a spankie for the road.

    Necessary Evil (2008)

  • "Would you like some fried chicken for the road, Deborah?

    Fiction book (1995)

  • "A cookie for the road, Dr. Souza?" The trees of the Bolivian Embassy shook off their shadows.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • She ordered a cocktail for the road as they prepared to head home.

  • He suggested they grab a shot for the road to end the night.

Synonyms

one for the road
vsfor the road
  • Informal
7 6.6

A final drink, usually alcoholic, before leaving

is used especially at the end of a social gathering before departure

Surface Forms

for the road singular
for the roads plural

Morphology

for + the + road

The words literally mean ‘intended for the road’ (i.e., for the journey), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer it refers to something taken before leaving. However, the specific conventional sense 'a final (usually alcoholic) drink before departing' is a culturalized extension that is not fully predictable from the parts alone, so prior exposure is typically needed to get the full nuance.

Etymology

The phrase for the road may come from the simple image of someone being given a quick drink to take with them, like a small cup 'for the road' before a journey. That's why today for the road usually means 'a final alcoholic drink before leaving'.