on the tear
on the TAIR — rhymes with 'air'phraseInformal
A Hiberno-English slang term. Browse all Irish slang.
What it means
On an extended drinking spree, usually more than one night. Implies momentum rather than a single evening out.
In use
They've been on the tear since Thursday.
I'm off it, I was on the tear all Christmas.
Where it comes from
From 'tear' in the sense of a wild rush. 'On the batter', 'on the lash' and 'on the beer' cover the same ground; 'on the dry' is the opposite and is heard just as often, usually in January.
Other forms
- Similar terms:
- on the batter, on the lash