hold my beer

English

Etymology

Suggesting that the speaker is holding a beer and needs someone else to hold it while they perform some act.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /həʊld maɪ bɪə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /hoʊld maɪ bɪɹ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Phrase

hold my beer

1. (humorous, imperative, originally) I am about to start a fight.
2. (humorous, imperative, US) I am about to do something difficult, extraordinary or crazy which will nevertheless be easy for me.
   • 2008, Kiven Hopper, One Hundred and One Dirty Nasty Disgusting Jokes You'll Love Reading, page 227:

     98% OF AMERICANS SAY 'OH SHIT' BEFORE GOING IN THE DITCH ON A SLIPPERY ROAD. THE OTHER 2% ARE FROM MINNESOTA AND THEY SAY, ‘HOLD MY BEER AND WATCH THIS.’

   • 2010, Virginia Alene, Catch And Release, page 18:

     When he says “Hold my beer and watch this” What he means is “I'm a crazy Redneck and love to show off.”

3. (humorous, imperative, US) I will outperform someone who did something questionable by doing something even more questionable.
   • 2016, Tom Phillips et al., “18 Tweets About How America Has Out-Brexited Brexit”, in BuzzFeed:

     BRITAIN: Brexit is the stupidest, most self-destructive act a country could undertake.
     USA: Hold my beer.

Usage notes

• May occur as part of the longer phrase “Hold my beer and watch this”.

Translations

I am about to start a fight

• Norwegian: hoill brillan (dialectal)

I am about to do something crazy

• Hungarian: fogd/fogjátok meg a söröm(et)
• Polish: potrzymaj mi piwo (pl)
• Russian: подержи моё пиво (poderži mojó pivo)

I will respond to someone doing something questionable