Tag Archives: alcohol

Etiquette – Germany

Nationality: Irish-American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student
Residence: St. Paul, MN
Performance Date: April 12, 2007
Primary Language: German
Language: English

Prost!

Cheers!

“When I first got to Germany and was 16 and was drinking beer because the legal alcohol drinking age is 16, people did this cheers thing before drinking. I thought it was just like what I’ve seen before in America and just clanked the glass and said ‘Prost’ back at my friends. Immediately after, they all commented on the fact that I did not look at them in the eyes and told me that I should always look people in the eyes when Prosting. Though they did not explain why, I imagine it was just a cultural tradition/etiquette thing. After that incident, I took my friends’ advice and did that every single time afterwards.  I realized everyone did really look at you in the eyes when Prosting and assumed that was probably a really important thing to do in Germany.”

The informant thinks it’s rather different from what we do here in the states in that it shows a more direct connection with one’s friends while drinking. It probably also emphasizes the way German people interact. Since looking away or indirectly at one’s eyes may indicate deceit or suspicion, it would only make sense that when toasting with friends, the least one can do is to make some eye contact.

Paradigmatically, looking at German culture as a whole, I think it makes a lot of sense that there is a lot of importance placed on drinking etiquette. Personally, I also find the eye contact fascinating because some cultures might actually take offense to that. While in Germany, toasting and looking directly at someone might signify friendship and honesty, perhaps in other cultures it might be considered rude to stare.

Joke – University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California

Age: 53
Occupation: Real Estate Investor
Residence: Laguna Hills, CA
Performance Date: March 2007
Primary Language: English

Two fraternity brothers decide to go sailing one afternoon and become lost. After twenty hours with nothing to eat or drink, one of them spots a lamp floating by. He picks it up and a genie pops out. The genie notices the poor condition of the brothers and grants them one wish between the two of them.
After a lot of arguing over who gets the wish, one of them blurts out, “I wish the ocean was made of beer.”
Magically, the ocean turns to beer.
Infuriated, the other guy yells, “You idiot! Now we have to piss in the boat!”

Barry said he learned this joke when he was in a fraternity at the University of Southern California.  He was a member of Kappa Alpha Order.  He told me that one of his fellow fraternity brothers taught him this joke circa age twenty one.  Barry explained that the background for the joke is that fraternity members are notorious for drinking large amounts of alcohol, specifically beer, at a time.  The joke pokes fun at the fraternity life, suggesting that all fraternity members hold their alcohol (beer in this case) in higher regard than hygiene and sanitation.  The fraternity brothers would rather urinate in their boat where they have to live for days on end than in the beer they are floating in.

I believe the meaning of this Barry gave to me is completely correct.  Fraternities are known for binge drinking and this joke capitalizes on that idea.  Also, some might argue that the mild profanity used in this joke (“piss”) could be used to show fraternity members’ tendencies to use profanity at will.

Drinking Game

Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 15, 2007
Primary Language: English

Drinking Game

Setup:

  • Teams sit at opposing ends of a standard table (approx. 3.5’ x 8’)
  • In front of each player is a cup that is completely filled with beer

How to score:

  • The players take turns throwing dice
  • During the throw, the dice must come within inches of the ceiling (or even graze the ceiling) and land on the table
  • An improperly thrown dice is called a “rocket” if it hits the ceiling or “low” if it is thrown too low
  • The opposing team must call “rocket” or “low” before the dice hits the table in order to be valid
  • If the dice roles off the shorter end of the table (where the opposing team is sitting) and onto the ground, the team scores a point
  • If the other team catches a properly thrown dice with one hand before it hits the floor, nobody scores
  • 5 points wins the game, but the team must win by 2

When to drink:

  • Any time the dice lands on 5, which is known as “biz”
  • Any time someone says “five” instead of “biz”
  • If the dice hits the cup, the other team takes a swig
  • If the dice lands in the cup, the other team chugs the remaining beer in the cup
  • If the dice does not land on the table
  • If a player catches the dice with two hands or uses the body to trap the dice

Mike Searles learned the complex game of beer die from his brothers, and it has become a traditional game within his family for the past few years. His brothers learned the game within their fraternity, where it has served as a brotherhood event for decades. According to Mike, many people have their own unique rules that they have incorporated into the game, but this is the most basic form of the drinking game. Games usually take about an hour, but supposedly some games have lasted as long as three hours. An exciting element of the game is when opposing teams try to try each other into saying “five,” using tactics such as asking for phone numbers or addressed.

What strikes me about this drinking game is that it requires tremendous mental focus and physical coordination, both of which completely disappear when one is intoxicated. Complex drinking games such as beer die are almost always associated with a group or organization, such as a fraternity or club. Almost all of my Greek friends have unique drinking games within their houses, as these traditions help confirm the brotherhood and distinctiveness of the fraternity. However, unlike most fraternity traditions (which are kept secret), people always seem very eager to teach others their drinking games because they are often viewed as a symbol of status and verification of exclusivity to others.

Drinking Game

Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 15, 2007
Primary Language: English

Beer Pong: Slap-Back Style

The rules:

  • Teams of two stand at opposite sides of a table
  • At the edge of each side of the table, the teams stack ten plastic cups in a triangular formation and fill them with a total of four beers
  • The players take turns throwing a ping pong ball at the cups; if it lands in a cup, the opposing team must remove the cup and drink the beer
  • If the ball is bounced into a cup, the opposing team must remove and drink two cups
  • If both players land their ball in the same cup, the opposing team must drink and remove three cups
  • Each team is allowed two “reracks,” which involve forcing the other team to rearrange the remaining cups in any formation
  • Slap-back rules: if a ball hits the table, the team can smack the ball back at the opposing team. If the ball hits an opposing player, he/she must chug an entire beer. However, if the opposing player catches the ball, the player who hit the ball must chug an entire beer.
  • The game ends when there are no cups remaining

Mike Searles learned the game of Beer Pong early in his college years; however, he learned the “slap-back” edition less than a year ago. He describes Beer Pong as one of the most popular games in college, and has participated in many tournaments that include as many as 32 teams. While the game of Beer Pong is already very competitive, he claims that “slap-back” is more competitive than many sports games he has played in. In Beer Pong, players generally drink about two beers per game, but he claims to have drunk as many as six beers in a game playing “slap-back.”

Beer Pong, in its most basic form, requires more coordination than most drinking games; however, the addition of the slap rules adds a very physical, aggressive component to the game. In reality, forcing drunken people to slap balls at each other seems like a recipe for disaster, since alcohol already fosters belligerence. Although popular amongst everyone, these physically derived drinking games are trademarks of fraternities and are generally more common amongst boys. Since boys tend to enjoy friendly competition, it is no surprise that adding more physical rules to Beer Pong has become common.

Drinking Game

Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 15, 2007
Primary Language: English

King’s Cup

The rules:

  • All the participants sit around a standard table, and at the center is a cup of beer surrounded by a deck of cards.
  • The players take turns picking cards, and each card (2-A) represents a unique action that the player must take if picked
  • For example, a 2 could represent “Make a rule,” which enables the player to make any rule that will be in effect the entire game (such as, “anyone who cusses has to drink”), a 7 could represent “everyone drinks,” and a J could represent “nickname,” in which a player if given a nickname that replaces his/her real name
  • Every time a K is picked, it is placed on top of the cup.  The person who selects the fourth K must chug the cup of beer

Mike Searles learned the game of King’s Cup early in his college years, as it is a relatively popular game amongst novice drinkers. He says it is best played in groups of four or more, but that he has sometimes played in groups as large as ten. He describes it as his favorite social drinking game, as the game’s versatility in rules and procedure enables a unique experience almost every time. Also, he says he has encountered substantial variation with this game, as people differ significantly in their setup of rules and cards. There really is no time limit on the game, as the cup can be refilled and the deck repeated.

“King’s cup” is a drinking game that is clearly designed for social purposes. As more rules and nicknames are added, the game gets increasingly complex and, generally, more fun. Likewise, as more rules are added, the participants get increasingly intoxicated, thus making it nearly impossible to remember all the rules. The game seems like a very effective icebreaker, as it invites conversation amongst the closely confined group. While some drinking games are reliant on technique and strategy, there is basically no strategy involved in this game (and therefore no pressure). Thus, unlike the drinking games that foster competitiveness, “King’s Cup” fosters social interaction and is merely intended for everyone to enjoy themselves.