# bend one's elbow

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/bend-ones-elbow
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To drink alcoholic beverages, especially at a public house or bar.

## Examples

- He likes to bend his elbow at the local pub every Friday.
- Do you want to bend your elbow with us tonight?
- They are bending their elbows at the wedding reception.
- After a long week at the office, the colleagues decided to bend their elbows at the tavern down the street.
- The old neighbors often meet on their front porch to bend their elbows while watching the sunset together.
- He rarely bends his elbow during the week because he prefers to stay sharp for his early morning gym sessions.
- The retired sailors sat in the corner of the dark lounge, bending their elbows and sharing stories about the sea.
- The weary traveler sought refuge in the dimly lit inn, where he spent the evening bending his elbow with the local townsfolk.

## Origin

The idiom suggests the physical motion of the arm required to raise a vessel from a surface to the mouth. It describes the mechanical action of the joint during the consumption of a beverage, preserved in the lexicon as a shorthand for the act of drinking.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.