# break the seal

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/break-the-seal
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To urinate, particularly for the first time after drinking alcohol.

## Examples

- I need to break the seal before we leave the bar.
- She refuses to break the seal because the line for the restroom is too long.
- Once you break the seal after a few beers, you will have to go to the bathroom all night.
- My friend finally had to break the seal during the second movie of our marathon after drinking a large soda.
- He hesitated to break the seal, knowing that once he started, the frequent trips to the restroom would become inevitable.

## Origin

The idiom originates from the colloquial observation of an increased physiological need to urinate following the initial instance of urination after the ingestion of alcohol. The phrasing suggests a permanent structural failure, as though the first visit to the facilities compromises a regulatory valve that cannot be reset for the remainder of the evening. Management of the bladder is thus treated as a singular event; once the seal is broken, the frequency of subsequent interruptions is expected to increase.

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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.