A prolonged period of excessive drinking or drug use. Can also refer to a tool used for bending materials or, in British slang, a makeshift shelter.
From Middle English 'benden' meaning 'to bend or curve'. The slang meaning of drinking spree emerged in early 20th century American English, likely from the idea of 'bending one's elbow' repeatedly while drinking.
The word 'bender' perfectly captures how language evolves through metaphor - from the physical act of bending to the figurative 'bending' of one's usual behavior during excessive partying. Interestingly, in British English, it can also mean a homosexual person, showing how the same word can develop completely different meanings in different cultures.
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