Lager
Meaning: A light, carbonated beer served cold; the most popular beer type in Britain.
Lager overtook bitter as Britain's favourite beer in the 1980s. It's served cold, is highly carbonated, and has a lighter taste than ales. 'Lager lout' became a term for rowdy young drinkers in the 80s. Despite being seen as less 'authentic' than real ale, lager dominates British pub sales.
Examples
- Pint of lager, mate. 来一品脱拉格,哥们Una pinta de lager, colegaラガー1パイント頼むわ라거 한 파인트 줘, 친구
- Any cold lager on tap? 有没有冰的扎啤拉格?¿Tenéis alguna lager fría de grifo?冷たいラガー、生でなんかある?차가운 라거 생맥 뭐 있어?
- He's a lager man, not into real ale. 他是拉格党,对真正的艾尔不感兴趣Es de lager, no le va la real aleあいつはラガー派で、リアルエールには興味ないよ그는 라거파야, 리얼 에일에는 관심 없어
Pronunciation
/ˈlɑːɡə/
Usage Guide
Context: pub, beer, modern
Tone: casual, everyday
✓ Do Say
- Pint of lager一品脱拉格una pinta de lagerラガー1パイント라거.
- Cold lager冰拉格lager fría冷たいラガー라거 한 파인트.
- What lagers you got?你们有什么拉格?¿qué lagers tenéis?ラガーは何がある?라거 한 잔.
Common Mistakes
- 'Lager lout' is derogatory—refers to rowdy drinkers
- CAMRA purists may look down on lager drinkers
Origin & History
From German 'lagern' (to store), referring to the cold storage fermentation process. Lager arrived in Britain in the 19th century but only became dominant in the 1970s-80s with brands like Carling and Foster's. It represented modernity against traditional bitter.
Etymology: From German 'lagern' meaning to store
First recorded: British popularity 1970s-80s
Cultural Context
Era: 1970s mainstream onwards
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
Pop culture: Lager lout moral panic 1980s
Regional notes: Universal but Britain came to it later than continental Europe.
Variations
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