Pre-drinks / pres
What it really means
Drinks at someone's home before going out to a club or bar, mainly to save money. Students usually just say "pres": "pres at mine at eight".
Context, tips & common mistakes
Pre-drinks — 'pres' or 'prinks' in student shorthand — is the ritual of drinking at someone's flat before going out, partly social warm-up, mostly economics: supermarket drinks cost a fraction of bar prices. An invitation to pres commonly implies bring-your-own; turning up empty-handed repeatedly gets noticed exactly like dodging rounds does.
Survival notes for the uninitiated: pace yourself, because pres-then-club is where newcomers misjudge cumulative quantity; eat first; and know that attending only the pres and quietly skipping the expensive club portion is a recognised, fully acceptable move ('I'll just come for pres') — often where the best conversations happen anyway. Soft drinks in hand raise no eyebrows; empty hands sometimes do.