FAB - Fancy a Binge?

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Only last Wednesday, me and my David were sitting in the Elephant's Head in Camden as the barmaid was demonstrating a rude trick with a matchstick. We were talking about "binge drinking". David said, "These days, binge drinking is basically just another word for drinking." I agreed. Of course, we were both blootered by that time.

Cut to Saturday's Guardian, where I discover that the government's definition of binge drinking is "three pints of strong lager in one night" (that's for men) and with a deep feeling of shame and self-loathing I remembered that, just the night before, I and several other ILXors had engaged in a shocking bout of binge drinking in the Pineapple in Kentish Town.

So ILXors, I hope you are proud to be part of Britain's shameful binge drinking culture and that Tony Blair and Obersturmgruppenfuhrer Blunkett have you in their sights!

― Den Dadaismus in seinem Lauf hält weder Ochs noch Esel auf... (Dada), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 13:41 (twenty-one years ago)

the elephants head is popular these days, is it not? i like it too

― *@*.* (gareth), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 13:45 (twenty-one years ago)

"me and my David"

Christ, that's a wee bit Freudian

― Den Dadaismus in seinem Lauf hält weder Ochs noch Esel auf... (Dada), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 13:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, the Elephant's Head - they play good music plus you can watch the Camden rockers in their natural habitat

― Den Dadaismus in seinem Lauf hält weder Ochs noch Esel auf... (Dada), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 13:47 (twenty-one years ago)

oh the pinaple, what a lovely bar, oh what lovely barmaids.
favorite quote of the moment (though i cant remember who said it)
"what people must understand, is that there are no vices worth forgoing for the sake of another three years at the eastborne retirementr home"

― lukey (Lukey G), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 13:51 (twenty-one years ago)

John Mortimer said that. The Pineapple had a very attractive barmaid.

― Den Dadaismus in seinem Lauf hält weder Ochs noch Esel auf... (Dada), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 13:55 (twenty-one years ago)

I quite like Eastbourne.

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 13:56 (twenty-one years ago)

i tried to show that guardian article to phil on saturday, but he groaned and shoved it away (he was resting after the pineapple binge drinking, in preparation for great eastern binge drinking). really, by that definition i don't know many people who aren't binge drinkers. MY PARENTS are binge drinkers, even.

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 13:58 (twenty-one years ago)

The Elephant's head was the first London pub I ever went to. I remember punks at all the other tables, and that the toaster sandwich I ordered took forever to toast.

I suppose I have assimilated into the UK government-defined binge-drinking culture, since I drink way way more here than I ever did while living in the US.

I have a question though, how long is that government definition of 'one night'? six hours? three? I always took binge to mean consuming large amounts in a relatively short span of time. I drank too much at the Pineapple.

― sgs (sgs), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 13:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Clearly complete nonsense. Are you sure it's not 3 pints of strong lager in one HOUR?

― Archel (Archel), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:00 (twenty-one years ago)

that sounds like a better binge to me.

― sgs (sgs), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:01 (twenty-one years ago)

dear moderators please change forum name to i love alcohol (anonymous), kthxbye...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:02 (twenty-one years ago)

I suppose I have assimilated into the UK government-defined binge-drinking culture, since I drink way way more here than I ever did while living in the US.

haha sgs i still remember that time at the Betsey Trotwood the first time we met! :)

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:03 (twenty-one years ago)

It's not binge drinking if it's bitter or mild at around 3.5% then?

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:03 (twenty-one years ago)

"Henry Wechsler, lead researcher and director of Harvard's college alcohol studies program... defines binge-drinking as the consumption of five or more drinks in one sitting by a man, or four by a woman. "

― Den Dadaismus in seinem Lauf hält weder Ochs noch Esel auf... (Dada), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:03 (twenty-one years ago)

i guess that'd be like 4 pints.

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:04 (twenty-one years ago)

so four pints of gin isn't a binge then?

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:04 (twenty-one years ago)

"sitting"!

― sgs (sgs), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:05 (twenty-one years ago)

A previous government report (in 2003) defined binge drinking as "...the equivalent of more than four pints of beer being consumed by men, and three large glasses of wine by women, during any one session". But as the Gestapo, sorry Goverment, now has the scent of blood in its nostrils and appear to be intent on banning everything, I would not be surprised to find that they've amended the figure to three pints.

― Den Dadaismus in seinem Lauf hält weder Ochs noch Esel auf... (Dada), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, "sitting" and "session" is all a bit vague isn't it? Coming soon, non-smoking AND non-drinking pubs!!!!!!

― Den Dadaismus in seinem Lauf hält weder Ochs noch Esel auf... (Dada), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:08 (twenty-one years ago)

if you go for a pee in between drinks it isn't binge

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Standing up in between pints removes the danger of drinking too much alcohol in one sitting - especially if you have hollow legs.

― Den Dadaismus in seinem Lauf hält weder Ochs noch Esel auf... (Dada), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:10 (twenty-one years ago)

i wish i could say that uk pub culture has had its wicked way with me, but i tend to drink loads no matter what continent i'm on.

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:10 (twenty-one years ago)

I like Eastbourne.

I am not a binge drinker, but I binge drank on Friday - 4 pints of Adnam's Suffolk Tractor Grease!

I dislike alcohol. I would be pleased if they banned it, and I think many of the country's ills would be solved overnight. Namely, people chucking manhole covers through my kitchen window.

Which barmaid? They were all very good. They seemed to multiply as the evening went on.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:13 (twenty-one years ago)

the equivalent of more than four pints of beer being consumed by men, and three large glasses of wine by women, during any one session

that's wierd, even in 2003 that's 10-12 units, whereas now they're saying considerably less...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Not considerably less - 3 pints of Stella, say, is a smidge undre 9 units.

― Ol' prune face (Mark C), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:17 (twenty-one years ago)

And your average bottle of wine in these higher-ABV days is 10 units.

― Ol' prune face (Mark C), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:18 (twenty-one years ago)

sorry, i'm confusing binge definitions with "sensible drinking" definitions, which i understand to be no more than 4 units a day...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:19 (twenty-one years ago)

How big are these pints and how strong is this lager?
I think some of the Toronto FAPS desended into this horrible bing drinking thing in under an hour.
Then came sensible moderate usage of intoxicants but lets not worry the government about such things..

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Mr Noodles, they're a pint in size, which is 568 ml.

― Ol' prune face (Mark C), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:44 (twenty-one years ago)

in one of my regular, "talk the taxi driver into a rage" journeys recently we got onto this subject.

Taxi Driver: "But that's it son, they're all binge drinking now, one drink isn't enough for anyone"
Ronan: "It's not just drinking though, everything's a binge with young people nowadays. Nobody does anything for an hour, say, or two hours"
Taxi Driver: "This is it, exactly"
Ronan: "People can't just watch TV for a short while, it's a whole 4 or 5 hours they want and they're still not happy."
Taxi Driver: "Now you have it son"

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:45 (twenty-one years ago)

After the Celtic v. Rangers game on Saturday, my fellow Celtic fans and i came up with a new concept: WHINGE DRINKING

― Den Dadaismus in seinem Lauf hält weder Ochs noch Esel auf... (Dada), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:46 (twenty-one years ago)

whereas the strengths of the lager in pubs vary from normally around 4.1%-6%, i don't know what they mean by strong lager, though... Super T?

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:47 (twenty-one years ago)

What they mean is that the alcohol is having any effect on you then you're already drank too much

― Den Dadaismus in seinem Lauf hält weder Ochs noch Esel auf... (Dada), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Ken, they mean so-called "premium" lagers which tend to be 5% ABV or just over - this includes Stella, Kronenberg, (new) Heineken, San Miguel, Becks, Holsten Pils, Lintovel, Budvar, Budweiser, etc. etc.

― Ol' prune face (Mark C), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 14:58 (twenty-one years ago)

haha Ronan next time tell them you're planning to take 5 or 6 more taxis after you get out of theirs

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 15:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Dinge Drinking = Spanish Bar

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 15:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Dinge Brinking = walking to Spanish Bar from nice pub

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 15:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Come to think of it, I had a wee bit too much to binge last night... not that I was bunge or anything.

― Den Dadaismus in seinem Lauf hält weder Ochs noch Esel auf... (Dada), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 15:09 (twenty-one years ago)

bungee drinking? that i'd like to see.

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 15:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Minge... (leave it ken)

― ken c (ken c), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 15:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought I was a very light drinker, but even I will often get through three pints of strong bitter in an evening. This is a mad definition.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 23 November 2004 18:03 (twenty-one years ago)

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