Are you listening to your friend talk about how they can’t decide between two premium brands for a purchase? You could say they have “champagne problems” that don’t really matter in life. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.
Meaning
The expression “champagne problems” refers to problems in your life that are irrelevant to your well-being, security, or primal needs. It refers to “rich people problems” where one outcome or the other doesn’t sound so bad.
If you have champagne problems, you’re making decisions between two easy-to-accept outcomes. For instance, deciding on whether you want to go to a fish restaurant or an Italian establishment is a champagne problem for working-class people that can’t afford to go out to eat.
Champagne problems don’t really matter in life. They are the opposite of hard decisions and usually don’t require real decision-making powers. Champagne problems don’t affect working-class people because they don’t have much luxury in life, and many live on the poverty line.
Example Usage
You see Jessica? She’s married to a millionaire, and she spends her days deciding where she wants to go for lunch and where to go shopping. I wish I had champagne problems like that.”
“It must be nice to be a celebrity. You have to go out in public and shine in front of the camera to make millions of dollars. Those poor people and their champagne problems.”
“If you’re rich and can’t decide whether to summer in Europe or Southeast Asia, you have champagne problems.”
“Mike makes me laugh. He sent me a picture of two BMWs because he can't decide which one to buy. Man, that guy has so much money. I wish I had champagne problems like that.”
“I heard Jeff Bezos had to decide if he wanted a yacht or a new private jet. Imagine having champagne problems like that.”
“I heard Johnny Depp and Amber Heard used to argue over which 5-star restaurant they wanted to go to for dinner. Those are champagne problems, and the audience eats them up.”
Origin
The expression “champagne problems” has unknown origins. According to the Urban Dictionary, the first use of “champagne problems” occurred in 2011. The meaning of the entry is the same as the original meaning of rich people's problems or problems that don’t matter in life.
However, the actress/singer Taylor Swift was responsible for popularizing the use of champagne problems in her 2020 track. Swift released her ninth studio album, “Evermore,” in late 2020, with “Champagne Problems” on the tracklisting for the album.
Swift's “Champagne Problems” music video garnered more than 15-million views in its first month of release. The song lyrics appear superimposed over a glass of champagne in the video. Swift wrote the lyrics for “Champagne Problems” with songwriter Joe Alwyn, who used the writing name “William Bowery.”
Phrases Similar to Champagne Problems
- Rich people problems.
Phrases Opposite to Champagne Problems
- Hard financial decisions.
What is the Correct Saying?
- Champagne problems.
Ways People May Say Champagne Problems Incorrectly
The phrase has nothing to do with problems caused by drinking champagne. Using the words to describe being intoxicated after drinking champagne is incorrect. Champagne problems also have nothing to do with “bottle girls” or strip clubs.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Champagne Problems
You can use “champagne problems” to describe problems affecting rich people that don’t have any responsibilities in life. If someone has champagne problems, they are problems that don’t involve working-class people’s lifestyles. Champagne problems only affect the rich, and they aren’t really problems but more like issues needing resolution at some point.
The phrase suits social and professional use. You can use it online and in verbal communications to describe problems that other people view as severe but don’t really affect their life. For instance, if your friend can’t decide to buy a pair of Gucci or Versace shoes, they have a champagne problem on their hands.