beer goggles

English

WOTD – 22 February 2023

Etymology

Originally 1980s US college slang, from the notion that consumption of beer and other alcoholic beverages causes people to see things differently, as if wearing a type of goggles.[1][2]

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈbɪə ˌɡɒɡl̩z/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈbɪɚ ˌɡɑɡ(ə)l/
  • Audio (General Australian):(file)
  • Hyphenation: beer gog‧gles

Noun

beer goggles pl (plural only)

  1. (idiomatic, originally US, humorous, informal) The illusion that people are more sexually attractive, brought on by alcohol consumption.
    • 2023 August 30, Linda Geddes, “‘Beer goggles’ study finds alcohol does not make people seem better looking”, in The Guardian[1], →ISSN:
      “Their findings essentially suggest that while intoxication may not have resulted in beer goggles, it did seem to increase liquid courage, in that people were more likely to indicate a desire to interact with attractive others,” said Monk, whose previous research had found some evidence to support the beer goggles effect.

Translations

See also

References

  1. ^ Compare “beer goggles, n.” under beer, n.1”, in OED Online , Oxford: Oxford University Press, September 2022.
  2. ^ beer goggles, plural n.”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present, reproduced from Stuart Berg Flexner, editor in chief, Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd edition, New York, N.Y.: Random House, 1993, →ISBN.

Further reading