- English translation
He drank every bottle dry.
- Literal wording
He did not leave any drink in the bottles.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying pictures a person who reached the bottles and drank until not a drop was left; the drink may be any beverage, not necessarily wine. It describes someone who, once they get hold of something, consumes or takes all of it and leaves nothing for anyone else.
As commentary on behavior, it points to greed or total exhaustion of a resource. Though the verb is masculine, it can describe anyone. It can criticize a person who strips something bare, or jokingly exaggerate how completely someone finished what was available.
- When it is used
Say it, usually with a critical or teasing edge, about someone who was given access to food, money, supplies, or any shared resource and used it all up, leaving nothing behind for others.
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- Colloquial Arabic
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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