Is there a general word for giving someone a beverage?

January 10, 2016 7:55 PM

If you "feed"'someone, you've given them food. Is there a word for what you've done if you gave them something to drink? We can only think of "serve" which is too general.
posted by nicwolff to Writing & Language (32 answers total)

Hydrate?
posted by nickggully at 7:57 PM on January 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

We can be said to water animals, but it's not used for other people.
posted by zadcat at 8:00 PM on January 10, 2016 [3 favorites]

"Hydrate" is what the beverage does to the drinker, not what the server does with the beverage for the drinker.

There are words like "quench" and "slake," but that's what the beverage does to thirst.

So, I say the answer is: no, there isn't a word for that.
posted by John Cohen at 8:10 PM on January 10, 2016 [2 favorites]

I've seen this question asked periodically on various websites and the consensus seems to be:

fed and watered - only refers to plants/livestock
fed - used to mean food and drink, e.g., "fed him whiskey" so a human equivalent of "fed & watered" didn't ever develop.
posted by Beti at 8:11 PM on January 10, 2016 [5 favorites]

Best answer: Bartenders can be said to "pour," as a generalized term for making and serving cocktails. "Who's back there pouring tonight?"
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:16 PM on January 10, 2016 [5 favorites]

Response by poster: Right, there's "watered my horses", and there's "wined and dined" which at least gives us a verb for giving someone wine. But I'm looking to say "We have a case of wine and a case of beer, so we can _____ about 30 people." Is "serve" the only word that fits? On preview: one certainly wouldn't say "feed".
posted by nicwolff at 8:17 PM on January 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

cater to/cater for
posted by Youremyworld at 8:19 PM on January 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

For a lot of alcohol: "I plied my guests with drink."
posted by MonkeyToes at 8:20 PM on January 10, 2016 [2 favorites]

"Cater to" or "tend to" are good, but is much the same as serve. I’m not seeing what’s wrong with "serve".
posted by bongo_x at 8:21 PM on January 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Oh hm - "pour for" works pretty well, although it's not one word. Is there a better verb + preposition?
posted by nicwolff at 8:22 PM on January 10, 2016

You have "quenched" someone with a drink.
posted by Atrahasis at 8:26 PM on January 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

Libate?
posted by gatorae at 8:27 PM on January 10, 2016 [8 favorites]

The word "drench" used to have this meaning, from OE drenchen. There isn't a verb like this in English anymore.
posted by three_red_balloons at 8:47 PM on January 10, 2016 [2 favorites]

Slaked?
posted by Flamingo at 8:50 PM on January 10, 2016

No. There is no better word than "serve" or "pour for."
posted by SLC Mom at 9:06 PM on January 10, 2016 [5 favorites]

Inebriate?

Provide for, accommodate?

I like "serve," myself.
posted by danceswithlight at 9:17 PM on January 10, 2016

Might I ask why you need both such a specific and short phrase? "We have a case of wine and a case of beer, so we can serve about 30 people" is completely unambiguous.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 9:18 PM on January 10, 2016 [7 favorites]

I have grappled with this same issue and like the phrase "provide drinks for" as the best-sounding solution to fit your example.
posted by snowleopard at 9:53 PM on January 10, 2016

Response by poster: Thanks all, Papa Bell gets the star.

CCoDoD, another example: "We have more food than booze; we can feed 40 people but can only ____ 30." Not "serve", surely? But "pour for" works.
posted by nicwolff at 11:22 PM on January 10, 2016 [1 favorite]

"We have a case of wine and a case of beer, so we can water about 30 people."

"Water" is the term of art you're looking for, I think.
posted by DarlingBri at 11:30 PM on January 10, 2016

I'd go for "water" or "pickle", depending on whether the drinks were alcoholic or not (but that may just be me).
Possibly "sate", which hasn't been proposed yet.
Or "refresh" (if you find yorself in a soda ad).
posted by labberdasher at 1:28 AM on January 11, 2016

in your example "serve drinks to" seems to work
posted by mirileh at 2:12 AM on January 11, 2016

I agree with the others saying that there there isn't really a verb like this in English anymore, and it isn't really needed:

"We have more food than booze; we can feed 40 people but can only ____ 30"
"We have enough food for 40 people, but only enough booze for 30"

"We have a case of wine and a case of beer, so we can _____ about 30 people."
"We have a case of wine and a case of beer, enough for about 30 people."
posted by James Scott-Brown at 2:32 AM on January 11, 2016 [3 favorites]

"Wet."
posted by klangklangston at 2:32 AM on January 11, 2016

Best answer: Longer explanation: in event planning and, I guess, catering, we "feed and water" guests. "Watering" is a word that refers to any imbibe-able liquid, as in "that bottle of wine will only water 5 guests."
posted by DarlingBri at 4:35 AM on January 11, 2016 [8 favorites]

I "feed and water" too, and I'm an amateur. Mainly use it to refer to groups though.
posted by hawthorne at 4:51 AM on January 11, 2016

In our family we use bev'rage, pronounced all French-like, to rhyme with "massage," with the emphasis on the first syllable, and a soft "a" and a soft "g."

Warning: we also say that we "food the cats," and 80% of the rest of what we say is made-up nonsense, so probably this way lies madness.
posted by BrashTech at 10:17 AM on January 11, 2016 [5 favorites]

I would use "libate" in this context. Sure, to libate technically means to pour a drink out for a god (as an offering) but it's close enough.
posted by coppermoss at 4:05 PM on January 11, 2016 [1 favorite]

"Tongue splashed"
posted by oceanjesse at 7:09 PM on January 11, 2016

so we can provide drinks for about 30 people
posted by fings at 7:03 AM on January 12, 2016 [1 favorite]

"...there was a time when drench would have been indisputably correct for OP's context."
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:35 AM on January 13, 2016

We have a case of wine and a case of beer, so we can lavage about 30 people.

We have a case of wine and a case of beer, so we can indulge about 30 people.

We have a case of wine and a case of beer, so we can imbue about 30 people.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 12:23 AM on January 14, 2016