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In Portuguese, the expressions "ter mau vinho" (have bad wine) and "ter mau álcool" (have bad alcohol) refer to people who become violent when they drink too much. Typically, these people are considered nice and even kind when sober, but become aggressive or violent after a few (or too many) drinks.

It's usually used in dialogue similarly too:

Daniel? Oh, he 'has bad alcohol'. I wouldn't go drinking with him, if I were you.

or

Daniel is such a nice guy! I'd never have thought he 'has bad alcohol'.

Is there a similar idiom in English?

Laurel
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SC for reinstatement of Monica
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7 Answers7

94

A "mean" drunk

...describes someone who gets aggressive when drink taken.

Why People Get Mean When They're Drunk, According to LiveScience.com:

There may be a mean drunk inside every man — and now scientists think they might know why.

According to a new paper published in the February issue of the journal Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience, MRI scans of drunk and sober men show that alcohol-related changes in the prefrontal cortex — the region of the brain thought to be responsible for moderating social behavior and aggression, among other executive functions — may be responsible for booze-induced anger.

Also, we have:

Personality Trait Reveals Who Becomes a Mean Drunk

Drinking can make some people more aggressive, and now researchers have found a particular personality trait — a focus on the present, with little regard of consequences — that appears to make someone under the influence more likely to become mean.

So you could say:

"Daniel is such a nice guy. I would never have thought that he is such a mean drunk."

Also see:

As you can see, it is used both formally and informally.

Community
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Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_
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    Note that "mean" doesn't inherently state violence, but rather a lack of manners. People who get belligerent can also be described as being mean drunks, but they're not violent. – Flater Jun 11 '19 at 14:31
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    I think you can extrapolate this to any other scenario too. I've heard happy drunk, sleepy drunk, loud drunk, violent drunk, and so on... – dwizum Jun 11 '19 at 15:51
  • @dwizum Oh yes, absolutely. I had commented earlier that I remember seeing a t-shirt in the US with "the 5 stages of drunk". In addition, many of the articles I reviewed for this answer mentioned those types. – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_ Jun 11 '19 at 15:53
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    I've also seen "ugly drunk" used, with the same caveat Flater noted also applying. – JonathanZ Jun 11 '19 at 16:00
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    I don't see anyone else mentioning it, but I've heard the term "angry drunk" – mattgately Jun 11 '19 at 20:07
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    @mattgately American here, “angry drunk” was the first thing I thought of. – Joshua Grosso Jun 11 '19 at 20:49
  • @Laurel thank you for your perseverance in editing this answer. I have to admit that I am an idiot when trying to do bullets. – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_ Jun 11 '19 at 21:46
  • Abusive drunk comes to mind... though, that's typically oriented towards a spouse I feel like. –  Jun 11 '19 at 22:42
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    I've heard "bad drunk" more. It's meant to contrast with "silly drunk" or "sleepy drunk." – HemiPoweredDrone Jun 11 '19 at 23:36
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    @Flater: "lack of manners" is not enough to make one a mean drunk. Mean drunks are hurtful to others in some way; it may not be actual physical violence (threats, verbal abuse, etc. all count), but it's a lot more than just failing to display good manners. – ShadowRanger Jun 12 '19 at 02:02
  • @ShadowRanger: I consider making hurtful comments as a lack of manners. There's no real crime, it's just a matter of not being as nice as you could be. Especially if the hurtful statements are factually correct, I don't really see another way of describing it other than failing at etiquette/manners. – Flater Jun 12 '19 at 08:34
  • @Flater: "mean" also means contemptible and nasty, with a hint of low social class. "A mean trick" may not be violent or informal, but definitely carries the sound of a petty malice or at best insolent effontery. – K.A.Monica Jun 13 '19 at 02:20
  • @K.A: ...which is still not violent, hence my point. – Flater Jun 13 '19 at 06:27
  • A good answer. In Chile, we say the person becomes ñipa (don't ask me where it came from). And someone who does it every time: "Es te sí que es ñipa..." He is a ñipa." – Conrado Dec 07 '20 at 21:20
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Daniel is such a nice guy, but gets belligerent when he drinks.

This is the term I've most often heard in the United States, especially among younger generations, to describe a person who becomes angry and / or violent when drunk.

Michael Benjamin
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    +1.. that is a very good description. – Cascabel_StandWithUkraine_ Jun 10 '19 at 22:42
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    I like it, but it feels less informal. The Portuguese idiom is 100% informal. – SC for reinstatement of Monica Jun 10 '19 at 22:49
  • "Belligerent" in this use-case is very informal. It's a slang term, I would say. @SaraCosta – Michael Benjamin Jun 10 '19 at 22:51
  • Oh. And here I thought anglophone slang preferred short words. I stand corrected. ;) Thanks – SC for reinstatement of Monica Jun 10 '19 at 22:57
  • Belligerent isn't necessarily violent (but it is the closest approximation to it that you can have without being violent). Belligerent people can also just try to instigate a fight but never become violent unless provoked (but of course it's equally possibly that they do resort to violence by themselves eventually)/ – Flater Jun 11 '19 at 14:33
  • @Flater, thanks for the feedback. I adjusted my answer. – Michael Benjamin Jun 11 '19 at 17:49
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    @Michael_B while I've definitely used it in informal situations, I wouldn't call it slang. In a different context, it could be used very formally (e.g. "the suspect became belligerent and combative" could probably be said in a court room). I'm just nitpicking though :) – mbrig Jun 11 '19 at 17:49
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    @mbrig, Agreed. That's why I focused my comment to apply only "in this use-case". I think in most, if not all, other use-cases it would be considered more formal usage. Thanks. – Michael Benjamin Jun 11 '19 at 17:52
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    This isn't really much of an idiom, it's pretty close to literal. – Barmar Jun 11 '19 at 18:16
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    This is really only an answer to 'What is an adjective to describe someone who is [often] angry and violent? – Edwin Ashworth Jun 12 '19 at 13:52
  • "... when drunk." This word has a special application to a particular behavior while inebriated. It's commonly understood and used, mostly by younger generations. @EdwinAshworth – Michael Benjamin Jun 12 '19 at 14:00
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    'My car is grey' doesn't indicate that 'grey' has a special application to a special type of vehicle. '... but gets belligerent when he drinks' shows that 'belligerent' doesn't necessarily even connote drinking; the prepositional phrase 'when he drinks' has to be added to convey the meaning. If you disagree, please show supporting references that 'belligerent' has a 'when drunk' implication built in. Otherwise, we could claim that 'he gets depressed / merry / sleepy when he drinks' show that 'depressed / merry / sleepy' have a 'when drunk' implication. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 12 '19 at 14:13
  • It's a colloquialism. The examples you posted are not. @EdwinAshworth – Michael Benjamin Jun 12 '19 at 14:19
  • But this answer comes across as little more than personal opinion. ELU requires that answers be supported by dictionary definitions and / or solid examples of expressions being used in the way claimed. I've googled 'belligerent', and there seems little hint of a necessary alcohol connection. In fact, Mr Trump is labelled 'belligerent' in more than one hit. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 12 '19 at 14:34
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In the UK, we use the term "violent drunk" to describe somebody who becomes aggressive after a few drinks.

Daniel's usually a great bloke, but he's a really violent drunk.

From https://www.theguardian.com/society/2010/feb/14/children-parents-alcoholics-nacao-alcoholism:

Unlike a lot of people, my mum wasn't a violent drunk...

Nugsson
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Another option that seems to fit your literal Portuguese translation is:

We never bring John out if we're going somewhere nice, he can't handle his liquor.

This usage is more neutral and often refers to other alcohol-induced debauchery (usually towards getting rowdy or sick) but also can be used in your case. However, it may be necessary to also include some indication of aggression for the case you're after.

groffrey
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    I don't think this is a good fit for the situation, as it means somebody who gets drunk easily but doesn't imply belligerence https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/can%27t+hold+liquor – 0xFEE1DEAD Jun 11 '19 at 11:49
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I have personally heard (and indeed use myself) the term "angry drunk"; though this is from my British perspective.

For example:

My friend Kevin started a fight in a bar last night. He's such an angry drunk.

It's not so much just an adjective to describe someone's demeanor when drunk (angry), as the term can be used as an umbrella for a set of actions (which includes, but is not limited to including, violence).

Source demonstrating use: https://www.menshealth.com/health/a19528649/the-reason-why-you-re-an-angry-drunk/

The accepted answer of "mean drunk" sounds ever so slightly old fashioned.

James
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From a British point of view you could go with 'lout'.

Dave has a few drinks and turns into a bit of a lout.

As per 'lager lout'.

Dave is a lager lout!

Although this sounds like it implies lager or beer, it's used more generically.

Craig H
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0

Dutch courage

England and the Netherlands were commercial and political adversaries throughout much of the 17th & 18th centuries. As a natural but politically incorrect consequences, many pejorative expressions crept into the English vernacular. Here are a few that survive in varying degrees of common use today...

  • Dutch uncle - the father of a bastard
  • Dutch treat - no treat at all, as all parties pay their own way
  • Dutch comfort - alternatively, Schadenfreude or acceptance that things could be worse
  • Dutch bargain- agreement between drunks
user290235
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    Dutch courage isn't about violence or tendency to abuse when drunk, it's about the effects of lowered inhibition and stronger inclination to take bold risks, exercise bravado - more of a "damn the torpedoes" type of attitude. – J... Jun 13 '19 at 19:22