Are there any good, cached buzzword phrases I can use that’ll make it socially acceptable to not drink?
“An orange juice, please.” (Or mineral water, or Coke, or whatever’s your fancy.) Of course, this is all going to be culturally specific. In the U.K. it is socially acceptable not to drink alcohol. You do not have to excuse yourself and will not be asked to.
I would agree with mstevens. My impression is that ordering anything other than a pint in a British pub tends to raise eyebrows. Indeed you probably do not have to excuse yourself, but your social standing may take a hit.
There’s a possible confusing factor in my study that I’ve stopped drinking, so many people know me as someone who used to drink. But it still generally seems to trigger confusion and puzzlement.
I’ve also found that drunk people are not actually fun companions when you’re not, which means I’m much less likely to end up in pubs in the first place.
“An orange juice, please.” (Or mineral water, or Coke, or whatever’s your fancy.) Of course, this is all going to be culturally specific. In the U.K. it is socially acceptable not to drink alcohol. You do not have to excuse yourself and will not be asked to.
In my experience this isn’t true—I’ve often had it queried.
I would agree with mstevens. My impression is that ordering anything other than a pint in a British pub tends to raise eyebrows. Indeed you probably do not have to excuse yourself, but your social standing may take a hit.
There’s a possible confusing factor in my study that I’ve stopped drinking, so many people know me as someone who used to drink. But it still generally seems to trigger confusion and puzzlement.
I’ve also found that drunk people are not actually fun companions when you’re not, which means I’m much less likely to end up in pubs in the first place.
Yes, it’s less painful to be the only drunk person than the only sober person at the table
Depends on the social grouping, it’s increasingly acceptable among the young.
Interesting. There must be a sharp segmentation of the young, as part of them are apparently setting OECD records