crook one's elbow

Idioms and Phrases

Also, bend one's elbow . Drink liquor, especially a great deal. For example, Bill is known to crook his elbow now and then , or Uncle Joe rather overdoes it with bending his elbow . Both slangy expressions allude to the motion of lifting a drink to one's lips, which involves bending the elbow. The first dates from about 1820, and the second from about 1900.