bier na wijn geeft venijn

Dutch

Etymology

Literally, “beer after wine yields venom”. Currently the usage is literal, but originally the proverb is said to have been a metaphor for downwards social mobility (beer being associated with lower socioeconomic class, and wine with wealth).

Proverb

bier na wijn geeft venijn

1. Drinking beer following the consumption of wine causes greater discomfort (through excessive inebriation and hangovers) than the reverse, namely drinking wine after beer.

Usage notes

• Often accompanied by and contrasted with wijn na bier geeft plezier.