Power hour
Meaning: A drinking game where participants take a shot of beer every minute for sixty minutes straight.
A power hour involves drinking one shot of beer (about 1.5 oz) every minute for one hour — that's 60 mini-drinks, equivalent to about 7.5 beers. It's usually accompanied by a playlist that changes songs every 60 seconds, signaling each drinking interval. The 'century club' variant extends it to 100 minutes.
Examples
- We're doing a power hour before the game — who's in? 比赛前我们来个power hour——谁参加?Vamos a hacer un power hour antes del partido: ¿quién se apunta?試合の前にパワーアワーやるけど、誰か参加する?경기 전에 파워 아워 하는데, 누가 참가할래?
- I couldn't finish the power hour. I tapped out at 45 minutes. 我撑不到最后,45分钟就放弃了。No pude terminar el power hour. Me rendí a los 45 minutos.パワーアワー最後まで持たなかった。45分でギブアップした。파워 아워를 끝까지 못 했어. 45분에서 포기했다.
- She made a power hour playlist with all our favorite songs. 她做了一个power hour专用歌单,全是我们喜欢的歌。Ella hizo una playlist para el power hour con todas nuestras canciones favoritas.彼女はお気に入りの曲ばかりのパワーアワー用プレイリストを作った。그녀가 우리가 좋아하는 노래들로 파워 아워용 플레이리스트를 만들었어.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: college, pre-game, drinking games
Tone: competitive, energetic
✓ Do Say
- Power hour at 8?八点钟来个power hour?¿Power hour a las 8?8時からパワーアワー?8시에 파워 아워?
- I survived the whole power hour.我撑完了整个power hour。Sobreviví al power hour entero.パワーアワー最後まで生き残ったよ。파워 아워 끝까지 살아남았어.
✗ Don't Say
- Not as harmless as it sounds — 7+ beers in an hour is a significant amount of alcohol没听起来那么无害——一小时喝七瓶以上啤酒的酒精量是很可观的No es tan inofensivo como parece: más de 7 cervezas en una hora es una cantidad considerable de alcohol.見た目ほど無害ではない——1時間でビール7杯以上はかなりの量のアルコール생각보다 만만하지 않습니다 — 한 시간에 맥주 7잔 이상은 상당한 음주량입니다
Origin & History
American college drinking game from the 1980s-90s. The structured, timed format appeals to the competitive nature of American party culture.
Cultural Context
Era: 1980s-90s college culture
Generation: Millennials and Gen Z
Social background: Universal
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