“Jug” is one of the many traditional,
british terms for a pint, or a series thereof.
See also: Jars (n)
In centuries past,
beer was served in earthenware jars, some of which had a handle on the side (See: Toby jug). Over the years, these earthenware jugs were replaced by metal and latterly, glass jugs, which gave rise to the euphemism we know, and
love today.
Often heard in conjuction with “pop out for,” “I’m just going for a jug” is usually understood to mean that the person intends to drink as many pints as possible in a worryingly
short space of time. This is so that he can give the impression, on returning
home, that he is anything but the
beer-soaked
bar fiend he is and avoid angering “the management”.
The reasoning behind this “concentrated
sesh” is because science has shown that women expect men to drink perhaps two pints an hour, not the fifteen pints that their husbands are desperately chugging in The Dog and
Duck to render themselves anaesthetised to the horrors of domestic life. The studies have also shown a direct correlation between the amount of time spent away and the level of suspicion. Once the level of suspicion exceeds about
50%, the probability of World War III occuring rapidly increases to 1.
“The boys and I have decided to pop out for a few jugs, back in an hour!”
“Sorry kids, your
father’s
gone for a jug with the boys; he won’t be back for another hour but I’m sure that he will be delighted to read to you as soon as he comes in..” (Not
bloody likely!)