phrase
Latin
In Vino Veritas
lit. “in wine, truth”
The proverb that people say what they really think once alcohol is involved.
Origin
The phrase is recorded in Pliny the Elder (1st century CE), who attributed a Greek version of the saying to the poet Alcaeus six centuries earlier. The full form he gives — 'in vino veritas, in aqua sanitas' ('in wine, truth; in water, health') — survives in modified form across Europe.
Modern usage
Used both seriously (drinks loosen up an honest conversation) and as a sheepish excuse for a regrettable late-night message. Standard reference in journalism whenever a politician says something compromising while drunk.
In the wild
He called his ex at 2 a.m. — in vino veritas, apparently.— common usage
Tags
wine
truth
proverb