give the black bottle
v. phr.— «Given the black bottle. Put out of his misery; this expression arises from the belief that loggers who were badly hurt in accidents were poisoned to ease their suffering.» —“Lumber Industry Slang and Jargon” in Maine, Iowa, Mich., Wisc., Ore., Mont., Ark., Wy. Lexicon of Trade Jargon , 1938-39. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...
Asthenosphere, a geologist’s term for the molten layer beneath the earth’s crust, sparks a journey that stretches all the way from ancient Greece to the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Plus: What the heck is a dogberg? It’s when...