To booze, to tipple, to hitting the bottle; to chug, to knock them back, to go on a drinking session. Derived from the old criminal argot or regional dialects, historically connected to the word кирь (alcohol/booze). In modern everyday Russian slang, it is a highly popular and expressive verb used to describe the act of drinking alcohol, especially in large quantities, over an extended period, or in a casual, rowdy group setting (мы вчера весь вечер киряли в гараже — “we were knocking them back in the garage all evening yesterday”).
Ведь летом можно гулять круглосуточно,
И завтра ты свободна практически.
Посидим, кирнём на скамеечке,
Давай сегодня оторвёмся по-Питерски.
In summer, you can hang out around the clock,
And tomorrow, you’re practically free.
Let’s sit down, have a drink on the bench,
Let’s go wild today, St. Petersburg style.
(Billy’s Band, Оторвёмся по-Питерски, 2005)
