cry in one's beer

English

Alternative forms

• cry into one's beer
• weep in one's beer

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Verb

cry in one's beer (third-person singular simple present cries in one's beer, present participle crying in one's beer, simple past and past participle cried in one's beer)

1. (idiomatic) To feel sorry for oneself; to feel sadness or regret, especially in combination with self-pity.
   • 1940 June 16, Frederick C. Othman, “Here's Film Director Who Says War Helps Business”, in St. Petersburg Times, US, retrieved 15 July 2011, page 21:

     It was a pleasure to talk to a movie producer who wasn't crying in his beer over what the European war has done to the picture business.

   • 1956 July 27, Harris Powers, “The Circus Gets In One's Blood”, in Sarasota Journal, US, retrieved 15 July 2011, page 4:

     He was bitter about the whole thing, but he wasn't crying in his beer.

   • 2003 April 17, Ian O'Connor, “Alcohol puts a damper on fun and games”, in USA Today, retrieved 15 July 2011:

     "When you win, you're supposed to drink to celebrate, and when you lose, you're supposed to cry in your beer."

   • 2010 August 8, Richard Corliss, “Box Office Weekend”, in Time:

     Christopher Nolan need not cry in his beer over Inception's demotion to the No. 2 spot.

Translations

feel sorry for oneself

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 垂頭喪氣 / 垂头丧气 (zh) (chuítóusàngqì)

• Finnish: itkeä kaljaansa
• Russian: пла́каться (ru) impf (plákatʹsja)

See also

• drown one's sorrows