dry drunk
n.— «He has hit upon the “dry drunk” scheme as a way to indulge his appetite without hurting his conscience. He is employed as a porter, and every night before he quits work he takes particular pains in cleaning up the wine cellar. He devotes about twenty minutes to smelling the bunghole of a barrel containing a particularly strong brand of cognac, after which he staggers homeward with all the symptoms of a regular “howling jag.”» —“A Secret Way of Getting Drunk” Arizona Republic (Phoenix) Nov. 17, 1891. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Oenophiles are known for their evocative writing about wine, but that’s also true for sophisticated bourbon lovers. Some sensuous tasting notes from bourbon expert Susan Reigler from American Whiskey magazine serve as a case in point. This is part...
The word dezzick is defined in an 1875 dictionary of the Sussex dialect as “a day’s work.” This is part of a complete episode.
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