gargle
GAR-gulnounColloquial
A Hiberno-English slang term. Browse all Irish slang.
What it means
Alcoholic drink, taken collectively. 'The gargle' is drinking as an activity and, often, as a problem.
In use
He's fond of the gargle.
Note: A standard euphemism for a drink problem — understated on purpose.
Will we get a few gargles in?
Where it comes from
From gargling, the throat action. It belongs to the large Irish vocabulary that lets people discuss heavy drinking without naming it directly, alongside 'fond of a drop' and 'he likes his pint'.