Literal Translation
To water down one’s wine
Actual Meaning
To be more moderate
Etymology
The idea of watering down wine dates back to ancient times. It was Dionysus, the god of alcoholic beverages, as recounted by various Greek authors, who is said to have made this suggestion. Why? Quite simply to limit the excesses associated with drunkenness.
In the Middle Ages, the practice continued, but this time for hygienic reasons: wine was diluted with water to aid digestion, and water was diluted with wine for its supposed purifying effect. In rural France, you can still find a few elderly people who indulge in this curious mixture.
It was in the 17th century that ‘mettre de l’eau dans son vin’ became a figurative expression. It was first recorded in 1636 by the scholar Fleury de Bellingen, then in 1694 by the newly founded Académie Française. At that time, it meant ‘to moderate one’s temper’, i.e. to temper one’s anger. Although this meaning is still sometimes used today, the expression quickly evolved: in the 18th century, Voltaire was already using it to mean ‘moderating one’s pretensions’ or ‘scaling back one’s ambitions’.