What is the meaning of the phrase ‘hold my beer’?
I’m about to do something impulsive and possibly dangerous and stupid.
What is the origin of the phrase ‘hold my beer’?
The phrase ‘hold my beer’ is believed to date back to the 1990s when it was used by the stand-up comedian Jeff Foxworthy as a punchline to one of his jokes. Foxworthy, a self-confessed redneck himself, said ‘What is a redneck’s last words? Hold my beer and watch this’. The joke alludes to how when someone is inebriated with alcohol, they are more inclined to make impulsive and potentially dangerous decisions, such as starting a fight or attempting a reckless stunt.
The phrase began to spread in the early 2010s, with internet memes such as ‘fail’ videos, where someone has attempted something impulsive and reckless and it hasn’t worked in their favour.
What are some notable uses of the phrase ‘hold my beer’?
Previously, the phrase had also been used in slightly different contexts, such as in an advertising campaign for a no-sugar beer in the 1930s, and as the title of an article in Fort Lauderdale News that came out in 1974. The phrase was also used in a Looney Tunes cartoon from 1959 “Wild and Woolly Hare” with Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam, and in fictional country music lyrics in The Official Redneck Handbook, published in 1987. But it was following Jeff Foxworth’s use that the trend for the phrase really took off.
The phrase ‘hold my beer’ is often seen on social media memes, stand-up comedy, in books, and more. It appears in the TV show “’King of the Hill”, when the character Boomhauer says, “Hold my beer,” before attempting a reckless act. Similarly, in the film “Zombieland,” Tallahassee says, “Hold my beer,” before an over-the-top action scene, and it appears in the film Action Point as well.
