Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also binge-up) excessive consumption, usu. of drink and (latterly) drugs; thus binge drinker, a very heavy drinker; binge-drinking, drinking to excess; bingeland, a notional ‘world’ of drunken excess; bingy, involving excessive drinking.

1889–90		Barrère & Leland Dict. of Sl., Jargon and Cant.
1917		A.S.G. Lee letter in No Parachute (1968) 26 June 75: Last night’s binge was a send-off for pratt.
1925		(con. WWI) Fraser & Gibbons Soldier and Sailor Words 23: Binge: Drink. A carouse.
1930		‘Leslie Charteris’ Enter the Saint 109: It had been a beautiful binge. Champagne. An’ brandy. An’ beer.
1947		J. Maclaren-Ross Of Love And Hunger 48: Went out to Egypt. On the staff. Just one long binge-up. Best time he ever had in his life.
1948		(con. 1944) N. Mailer Naked and Dead 710: Just throwing the damnedest old binge you ever saw.
1958		A. Sillitoe Sat. Night and Sun. Morning 5: It was Saturday night, the best and bingiest glad-time of the week.
1969		‘Iceberg Slim’ Mama Black Widow 14: The poor baby is sleeping off a binge.
1970		A. Sillitoe Start in Life (1979) 314: Take this money and have a binge on bread and jam.
1985		S. Berkoff West in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 112: Maybe a binge at some vomity local.
1988		H. Gould Double Bang 131: One more drink would tip him into bingeland.
1998		I. Welsh Filth 18: The aftertaste of a jakey’s lips after a binge on the old purple tin.
1999		Indep. Real Life 25 July 4: We’re binge drinkers definitely – we’re onto our fourth vodka.
2000		N. Griffiths Grits 57: Ow long’s it teyk like t’recover from-a binge?
2011		D. Telegraph (Sydney) 23 Apr. 🌐 Sailor said family tragedies caused him to binge-drink and consequently use cocaine. ‘I wasn’t dealing with those issues — the binge-drinking it made you push it away .
2017		M. Forsyth Short History of Drunkenness 40: Egyptians were proud of their binge-drinking.
2017		M. Forsyth Short History of Drunkenness 57: It was his decision whether this evening was going to be [...] a debacuhed binge.

2. in weak use, any form of party or outing.

1921		N&Q 12 Ser. IX 345: Binge. Social gathering. As verb – to imbibe alcohol.
1923		Wodehouse Inimitable Jeeves 174: I had had experience of one or two of these binges.
1930		E. Waugh Vile Bodies 191: Thanks no end for the binge.
1937		Jennings & Madge May the Twelfth: Mass-Observation Day-Surveys 4:62: She found the day very dull. If she had been able, I think she would have enjoyed most a dance or some other binge with boy friends.
1949		Wodehouse Mating Season 71: That Lovers’ leap binge is fixed for next Thursday.
1954		Wodehouse Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit 1: I was in no sense looking forward to the binge.
1999		Indep. Rev. 28 June 4: The venue’s opening binge earlier this month.
2000		Observer Escape 9 Jan. 2: Our resolution to purge our livers prior to the inevitable festive binge lasted until 30 minutes after touchdown.

3. a situation.

1923		Wodehouse Inimitable Jeeves 8: So you put the whole binge to Jeeves.
1954		Wodehouse Jeeves and the Feudal Spirit 179: You mean you’ll handle the whole binge?
1960		Wodehouse Jeeves in the Offing 65: It amazed me that I could have allowed myself to be let in for a binge of this description.
1990		J. Wambaugh Golden Orange (1991) 361: I knew how you’d go on a guilt binge when you didn’t save a drowning man because you were drunk.
1997		C. Hiaasen Lucky You 95: Ever since he’d started the workout binge, he’d become moody and rough.

4. a campaign.

1953

W.P. McGivern Big Heat 64: A newspaper on a reform-binge is an altogether different matter.