is a Latin phrase that means , suggesting a person under the influence of alcohol is more likely to speak their hidden thoughts and desires. The phrase is sometimes continued as, , . Similar phrases exist across cultures and languages.
The expression, together with its counterpart in , is found in Erasmus' Adagia, I.vii.17.See W. Barker, The Adages of Erasmus (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2001), pp. 100-103. Ἐν οἴνῳ ἀλήθεια: Diogenianus, Cent. 4.81. See Andreas Schottus, Paroimiai hellēnikai (Antwerp: Plantin, 1612), p. 215. Pliny the Elder's contains an early allusion to the phrase.Nat. hist. 14, 141: "" The Greek expression is quoted by Athenaeus of Naucratis in his Deipnosophistae;Athen. 37E: "" it is now traced back to a poem by Alcaeus.Alc. fr. 366 Voigt: . Nothing is known about the poem except for these words, which are quoted by a later scholiast. See G. Tsomis, (Stuttgart: Franz Steiner, 1999), pp. 160-161.
Herodotus asserts that if the Persians decided something while drunk, they made a rule to reconsider it when sober. Authors after Herodotus have added that if the Persians made a decision while sober, they made a rule to reconsider it when they were drunk (Histories, book 1, section 133).Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, Vol. 2, Food Production to Nuts, Solomon H. Katz (Editor in Chief), 2003, Charles Scribner's Sons, p. 198. (v. 2). The Roman historian Tacitus described how the Germanic peoples kept counsel at feasts, where they believed that drunkenness prevented the participants from dissembling.Tacitus, Germania, 22.
Western Europe
In Western European countries the same idea has been incorporated in local language versions. Danish: , . Dutch, similarly: , ; , ; and , . English: ; ; and . Finnish: . French: , . German: , ; and , . Icelandic: , . Spanish: , ; , ; and , .
Central Europe
Czech: . Hungarian: . Latvian: . Lithuanian: . Polish: . Romanian: . Russian: , ; and . Serbian: . Slovak: . Slovene: .
Asia
Chinese: , . Japanese: . Persian: , . Tagalog: , .
Talmud The Babylonian Talmud () contains the passage, "", .See Tractate Eruvin 65a (). It continues, "", .Id. at 65b (). (In the original Hebrew, the words for (), (, ), and () rhyme, and there is a further play on words, as they all use the similar set of consonants ''.)
In Hebrew Gematria, the value of the word , , is equal to the value of the word , , making it another play on words: something of value enters, and something of equal value exits.
There is a similar saying in Yiddish: , .
Africa Chibemba: , . Chichewa: , . Ewe: , . Tetela: , .p. 71, Ndjeka Elizabeth Mukanga, Epenge Albert Tshefu, Ambaye Albertinre Tshefu. 2020. Great Collection of Tetela Proverbs on the African Wisdom. Pittsburgh: Dorrance Publishing.
Music In the 1770s, Benjamin Cooke wrote a glee by the title of "In Vino Veritas". His lyrics (with modern punctuation):Warren, Thomas, ed. A collection of catches, canons & glees. Wilmington, Delaware: Mellifont Press, 1970. . Reprint of a collection, originally in thirty-two volumes, of glees published by various publishers in London, from 1762 to 1793. Thomas Warren (ca. 1730-1974) was the original editor of the collection. The reprint is not complete. For more information, see the University of Michigan library's holding .
See also List of Latin phrases Never have I ever Truth serum Sub rosa
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