sailor mongering

sailor mongering
 n.— «Sailor mongering was rife in the 19th century when brothels sent prostitutes laden with booze onto ships as they made their way to harbor. The idea was to get the sailors so drunk they could be whisked to shore and held in bondage, and a law was passed against it in 1872. It has only been used in a court of law twice, the last time in 1890.» —“U.S. Takes Greenpeace to Court in Unusual Trial” by Michael Christie Reuters May 13, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

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Further reading

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