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expensive drunk

expensive drunk

9.9
A person who drinks too much and always buys expensive alcohol
  • noun
  • Offensive
translation icon : borracho gastador
  • Her friends were concerned because she had become an expensive drunk who always bought the most expensive cocktails.

Examples

  • Being an expensive drunk can quickly drain your savings if you're not careful.

  • After the promotion, he became notorious at the bar as an expensive drunk who never ordered the house wine.

  • Don't be such an expensive drunk at the bar!

  • That guy is an expensive drunk!

  • He gained a reputation as an expensive drunk, often spending all his money on premium liquor at the club.

  • Her lifestyle as an expensive drunk worried her friends, especially since she frequently bought rounds of drinks for everyone.

  • It’s hard to keep up with an expensive drunk like Mike, who insists on ordering the highest-priced drinks on the menu.

How Wasteful

profligate
  • Formal
1 9.9
expensive drunk
  • Offensive
9.9
drinker
83 1.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

expensive + drunk

The adjective 'expensive' retains its literal meaning of 'costing a lot' and 'drunk' is a straightforward noun for a habitual drinker; together they form a regular adjective + noun combination meaning a drinker who causes high expense. This compositional pattern follows normal English grammar and is easily inferable by a B1 learner who knows both words, so the MWE is transparent.

Etymology

Expensive drunk comes from a simple picture: someone who is drunk and always orders the most expensive drinks at a bar, costing a lot of money. So, it means 'a person who drinks too much and spends a lot on alcohol'.