For England
Posted by David FG on September 12, 2010 at 07:06
In Reply to: For England posted by Sarah on September 11, 2010 at 13:12:
: Where does the phrase '(I could/he was) drink(ing) for England' come from?
I don't know if it has a specific origin, but the idea is that one drinks (or does anything else, come to that) on such a scale, or with such ability, that one could represent one's country in a contest at that activity; should there be organized events of such a nature.
'For England' is simply a reflection of the nationality of the speaker. Any nation could be used equally well.
DFG