Chinese idiom · 成语
斗酒学士
Meaning
A wine-loving scholar; originally a nickname for the Tang poet Wang Ji.
Character by character
Origin and story
Biographical anecdoteThe New Book of Tang, in Wang Ji's biography in volume 196, explains this nickname through his court appointment. Officials in his position received three sheng of wine. Asked what made the appointment enjoyable, Wang Ji said the good wine was worth staying for. When Chen Shuda heard this, he increased the daily provision to a dou, and people called Wang Ji the 'scholar of a dou of wine.'
This is a biographical anecdote about Wang Ji, not the similar drinking imagery associated with Li Bai. Later usage extended the nickname to literary men known for their capacity for alcohol; it does not itself mean that drinking produces genius.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
同事笑称他是斗酒学士，因为他爱写诗，也爱谈酒。
His colleagues jokingly call him a wine-loving scholar because he enjoys writing poetry and talking about wine.
An uncommon literary nickname, usually playful; not encouragement to drink heavily.