“Bottoms Up”
A cheerful toast today, this phrase has darker origins. During an era when unsuspecting men were tricked into naval service, recruiters would slip a coin into the bottom of a beer glass. If the drinker accepted the beer-and the coin-they were deemed to have
“accepted payment” and were forcibly pressed into the Royal Navy.
“Bottoms up” became a way to check for coins before drinking, a habit that lingers as a social tradition.
Written by Lindsey