gin

bathtub gin

Any alcoholic drink that is made by an amateur at home or in makeshift conditions. Refers to the use of bathtubs in creating illegal alcohol (most often gin, hence the name) during the prohibition years in the US. This stuff is strong, but it tastes like bathtub gin! How did you get drunk so fast? What is this stuff, bathtub gin? Wait, your neighbor really makes his own bathtub gin? Is it any good?

See also: bathtub, gin

gin dive

slang A bar, especially one that is run-down. Are you guys hungover? You spent an awful lot of time at that gin dive last night! You're looking for Charlie? He's probably in some gin dive drowning his sorrows. That bar is a total gin dive, but the drinks are good—and cheap!

See also: dive, gin

gin mill

slang A bar, especially one that is run-down. Are you guys hungover? You spent an awful lot of time at that gin mill last night! You're looking for Charlie? He's probably in some gin mill drowning his sorrows. That bar is a total gin mill, but the drinks are good—and cheap!

See also: gin, mill

gin palace

slang A bar. Are you guys hungover? You spent an awful lot of time at that gin palace last night! You're looking for Charlie? He's probably in some gin palace drowning his sorrows. Come to the gin palace with us. The drinks are good—and cheap!

See also: gin, palace

gin up (something)

1. To produce or engender something; to stir or work something up. Primarily heard in US. The story has continued ginning up controversy for the last two weeks. Why do you always gin up drama before we all go away together on family vacations? Of course Marie's trying to gin up support within the department—she wants to get promoted!

2. To create something under false pretenses. Primarily heard in US. Many believe the government ginned up the charges as a means of removing the foreign leader from power. I did nothing wrong! My ex-wife simply ginned up these accusations against me! And what evidence do you have to support this? We can't just gin up a case with no evidence!

3. To exaggerate or embellish something. Primarily heard in US. Personally, I think he's been ginning up the issue as a means of getting more votes. OK, I was there too, and I know Larry's ginning up the story to make himself look like a hero. I really hope my financial adviser didn't gin up the figures he projected for me.

4. To stimulate or invigorate something to be more active, productive, or successful. Primarily heard in US. Congress seems confident that the new tax laws will gin up the economy. We need to find a way of ginning up our quarterly sales. OK, how can we gin up enthusiasm for our next product release?

See also: gin, up

ginhead

slang A drunk; an alcoholic. Oh yeah, I had become a total ginhead before finally going to rehab. Geez, if we go to the bar a third time this week, we're gonna look like a couple of ginheads! That guy's a real ginhead—I wish he would get some help.

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

gin mill

and gin dive and gin palace

n. a saloon; a low liquor establishment. (Older.) Fred hit every gin mill on the way home. The joint looks like a gin dive. I’m not going in there!

See also: gin, mill

gin dive

verb

See gin mill

See also: dive, gin

gin palace

verb

See gin mill

See also: gin, palace

ginhead

n. a drunkard. Gert could have ended up a ginhead, but she went another route instead.

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.