I’m talking about the clicking of glasses here, not the British thank you. Personally, although I’m a goy, I’ve always been a fan of “L’chaim!” It sounds so hearty, you know?
Beyond that, there was this Gahan Wilson comic I once read where there was a loner at a bar with a little shot glass who said to himself: “To the lunatic fringe!” That one comes out around 1:30 in the morning though.
So, yeah. I just want a list to mentally draw from. The more languages, the better.
Usually for a quicky it’s just “slainte”, as there was this English guy I used to know who said “Cheers” after just about everything that came out of his mouth, and it made me want to punch him in the face.
That being said, for a toast of a kind I usually offer up “Here’s to us and those like us…damned few left.”
Only ever ‘cheers’, or ‘slainche’ when with the Irish relatives. The only times I can recall anything else spontaneous are “to so-and-so”, always in a wake or other post-funeral pub visit.
And I hate clinking of glasses. Just raise them, and the job is done.
Actually, usually it’s just ‘cheers’, or ‘Sláinte mhath!’ if I’m with my dad.
Me too. It’s especially irksome if there are lots of people, and they all seem intent on not missing anybody, so it becomes an awkward sidestepping sea of glasses and hands.
Inspired by the movie, The Sum of Us a couple of friends and I used to say “Up your bum” as a toast. This mutated into the shorter and sharper “Up yours.” When it is not inappropriate to do so, we still use this salutation. Of course we have to be very careful since in many, many situations it would be offensive.
Years ago in London I befriended a bunch of folks from Ireland, and their toast- it may have been an in joke to that group, but they told me it was an Irish thing- was a two-parter:
First person: “Cheers, big ears!”
Everyone else: “F–k you, noddy!”
I don’t know what it means.
Around my house, it’s “slainche”, “skol”, “cheers”, and we taught my kids “here’s mud in your eye”.
Ohhh I forgot that one! Noddy and Big Ears were/are a childrens favourite book, coupled with the whole rhyming opportunity how could it be resisted? I’m a fan of “Cheers big ears” I just forgot the rest! (is there a dumbarse smilie?)
I haven’t heard “cheers, big ears!” in absolute ages. Used to all over the show from around the late 1970s. Never thought it was connected with the Blyton character, though – just a rhyming thing with “cheers”.
So it wasn’t just their private in-joke? I’m really happy to hear that. I’ve wanted to use that toast but I’ve never heard it before in the states, and figured nobody would know how to follow up if I said the first part. If I ever find myself around a group of Irish folks again, I’ll toss it out there.
Almost forgot- my friend from France taught me that the French always tap the top of their glass/bottle for health, and the bottom as kind a well-wishing for the person’s sex life. So now my wife and I always do the double-tap.
Again, for all I know he it was a joke and it means nothing. But it continues to work for me and my wife.
“May god bless the ones that love us.
May he turn the hearts of those that don’t.
And if he can’t turn their hearts,
May he turn their ankles,
So we may know them by their limping.”
“Crank up the Enola Gay!”
“Fuck you! I’m drunk.”