usage with "drink"

[hela]

Dear teachers,

What would you say in English:

1) He drank himself into debts.
2) Drinking has run him into debt.

Kind regards,
Hela

[MrPedantic]

Hello Hela, a cheery good evening to you.

Actually, I wouldn't say either. I'd say:

1. I drank myself into debt.

"Debt" is countable in the sense of individual debts; but you can also call the accumulation of all your debts "debt", at which point it becomes uncountable.

2. I drank myself into debt, my wife left me, the building society repossessed my house, I lost both legs in a car crash, and then my dog died. But that's ok. I don't complain. Win some, lose some. Tomorrow is another day. There's always someone worse off than you. It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good. There are good times just around the corner.

(No particular relevance. I just felt that the forum needed a bracing example of stoicism in the face of extreme adversity.)

MrP

[hela]

Dear MrP,

I pray God that none of these things will ever happen to you!
"On a beau être stoïque il y a quand même des limites, non?"

Now, is the meaning of "I drank myself into debt" = "Je me suis endetté à force de boire" ?

What does this expression mean, please ?
"It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good."

Thank you very much for the point of grammar related to the noun "debt".

All the best,
Hela

[SweetMommaSue]

Hello Hela!

Well, I had a hard time deciding how to explain this one (about the "ill wind"). So, here is a place where you might get a better understanding. Admittedly, it is confusing, even to me, a native AE speaker, but I do hope it helps. If I find other places, (I haven't looked under the Idioms link here at UsingEnglish, yet), then I will certainly come back here to tell all!

I'm still researching your other expression: "Now, is the meaning of "I drank myself into debt" = "Je me suis endetté à force de boire" ?

Have a pleasant evening!
SMS

P.S. I did check the Idioms section of UsingEnglish and "ill wind" is not mentioned. Perhaps it can be inserted, now?

[MrPedantic]

Hello Hela and SMS :)

Yes, I'd agree about "endetté".

As to the ill wind, it means: 'Something that is bad for one person is likely to be good for someone else. So it has to be a very bad thing ("it's an ill wind") if no one benefits ("that blows nobody any good").'

When you use the phrase, you say it with a stress on "nobody". So intonation acts as an intensifier: the sense is "it must be a truly bad wind if it blows nobody at all any good!"

See you,
MrP

[hela]

Thank you, MrP.

[SweetMommaSue]

Hello All!
I'm back with some answers ! Try these sentences, provided by French, Belgian and French Canadian speakers:

1. "Je me suis ruiné à boire."

2. "Je me suis endettée pour la boisson."

3. "'Je me suis enivré(e) jusqu'à la dernière pièce'... mais c'est peut-être un peu trop littéraire".

4. "J'ai bu tout mon argent."

I sincerely hope this helps to answer your question!

I have known a few people who did exactly that!

Smiles,
SMS

[SweetMommaSue]

Hello MrP!

Thank you for your entries here! Your explanations are very clear, and I inevitably learn something from each of them (from all of the threads to which you subscribe)! Thank you for clarifying the "ill wind". I see that it's just one of those expressions that you must accept the answer as given.

Have a very pleasant day!
SMS

[MrPedantic]

Thank you, SMS!

A very cheery evening to you and Hela. :)

MrP

[SweetMommaSue]

Here I have a few more to add:

5. "J'ai claqué tout mon fric dans la boisson (ou 'au bistrot')".

6. Pour décliner toute responsabilité, il suffit d'inverser le sujet : "la boisson m'a tout piqué" ou encore

7. "la boisson m'a mis sur la paille."

8. "La boisson m'a ruiné(e)"

9. "J'ai bu tout mon argent/bien/avoir"

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ça suffit!