in wine, there is truth

in wine, there is truth

English

Alternative forms

• there is truth in wine

Etymology

Calque of Latin in vīnō vēritās.

Proverb

in wine, there is truth

1. Things said under the influence of alcohol reveal true beliefs not expressed when sober.
   • 1823, Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine - Volume 14, page 321:

     It is a saying, that “wine inspires wit;' and that in wine “there is truth.” These sayings are the apologies of drinkers.

   • 1998 December, Ron Loutherback, “Beyond the Label”, in Orange Coast Magazine, page 174:

     In wine there is truth. People who love wine and have a lot of it still like to get a great wine as a present.

   • 2003, Kanaan, Delicate Torture: (Living Poetically), →ISBN, page 79:

     In wine there is truth, or so they say, and this just may be the way to heaven, then again we began this time just fine, with a bottle of red wine, parked on an incline just you and I, not far from my safe haven, inhabited by ravens sex laden, with a maiden which is you,

   • 2011, Donald L. Anderson, Cases and Exercises in Organization Development & Change, →ISBN, page 35:

     “My grandfather never understood the point of a mission statement. But whenever anybody asked him about making wine, he always said this,” and Mr. Main pointed at a sign that read: In wine, there is truth. In good wine, there is hard work.

   • 2014, Christopher Priest, The Space Machine, →ISBN:

     In wine there is truth, and although I was able to contain my excesses, and fell short of protesting my undying amour, our conversation had touched on most remarkably personal matters.

Usage notes

• Used to refer to the effect of alcohol on reducing inhibitions, allowing someone to say what they truly think.
• Secondarily, used to suggest that one's perceptions and emotions when drunk are more real than when sober.

Related terms

• in vino veritas

Translations

one tells the truth under the influence of alcohol

Arabic: الْحَقِيقَة فِي النَّبِيذ‎ (al-ḥaqīqa(t) fī n-nabīḏ) Bulgarian: във ви́ното е и́стината (vǎv vínoto e ístinata) Chinese: Mandarin: 酒後吐真言／酒后吐真言 (zh) (jiǔhòu tǔ zhēnyán) Czech: ve víně je pravda Dutch: kinderen en dronken mensen spreken altijd de waarheid (literally “children and drunk people always speak the truth”) Finnish: viinissä on totuus French: la vérité est dans le vin German: im Wein liegt die Wahrheit Greek: εν οίνω αλήθεια (el) (en oíno alítheia) Ancient Greek: οἶνος ἐστίν ἀληθής (oînos estín alēthḗs, literally “wine is truthful”) Hebrew: נכנס יין יצא סוד‎ (he) (nikhnas yayin yatsa' sod), בשלשה דברים אדם ניכר: בכוסו, בכיסו, ובכעסו.‎ (bish'loshá d'varím 'adám nikkár: b'khosó, b'khisó, uv'kha`asó.) Hungarian: borban az igazság (hu) Irish: sceitheann fíon fírinne Italian: nel vino c'è la verità, in vino veritas Japanese: 酒の中に真理あり (sake no naka ni shinri ari), 酒に酔うと本音が出る (sake ni you to honne ga deru) Kazakh: ақиқат шарапта (aqiqat şarapta) Korean: 취담 중에 진담이 있다 (chwidam jung'e jindami itda) Latin: in vino veritas Polish: w winie prawda Portuguese: no vinho a verdade Russian: и́стина в вине́ (ístina v viné), пра́вда в вине́ (právda v viné), что у тре́звого на уме́, то у пья́ного на языке́ (ru) (što u trézvovo na umé, to u pʹjánovo na jazyké, literally “what a sober man has on his mind, a drunk man has on his tongue”) Spanish: en el vino está la verdad

See also

• loose lips sink ships