“Piss and Vinegar” Meaning with Examples

Have you ever heard someone use the term Piss and vinegar in a conversation? If you have, you may have thought about what the saying means. We are going to look at the meaning of the term and where it first originated from. We are also going to look at some examples to show how the phrase can be used during a conversation.

Piss and Vinegar

Piss and Vinegar Meaning

The meaning of the term Piss and vinegar refers to a person who is full of energy and very rowdy. The term is often used to describe an elderly person who is still very sprightly. It is worth noting that when using the term in the United Kingdom, the word piss is seen as profanity and can be offensive to some listeners.

Origin of this idiom

The origin of the idiomatic phrase Piss and vinegar can be found in the novel In Dubious battle written by John Steinbeck, where the term is used to refer to a group of boisterous men.

“Piss and Vinegar” Examples

Examples in Statements

There are many different times in which you might hear the term Piss and vinegar. We are now going to take a look at some examples of times you may see it in a sentence.

The first statement is taken from the original text in which we find the phrase.

• Listen, Sir, those men are so full of piss and vinegar that they will skin you if you turn up in that slick suit out there.

The next statement is being made by a person discussing some local young people.

• They never seem to stop making a noise, they are full of piss and vinegar.

Conversation Examples

If you are curious to see how the term Piss and vinegar would work in a conversation, here are some examples to demonstrate it’s used.

The first conversation is between two sisters.

• Person 1: “Have you seen Grandad this week?”
• Person 2: “No, how is he doing?”
• Person 1: “He is as lively as ever, full of piss and vinegar that one.”

This next conversation is taking place at a school.

• Person 1: “The older kids are bullying some of the younger ones, we need to do something about it.”
• Person 2: “We do, you’re right. But those kids are so full of piss and vinegar, it’ll be a hard task to calm them down.”

Other Ways to Say the Idiom

There are other ways in which you might express the meaning of the term Piss and vinegar.

Here are some examples of other things you could say which carry the same meaning.

• Spit and vinegar
• Enthusiastic
• Boisterous energy
• Youthful energy

Piss and Vinegar Meaning | Picture