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Joined: Apr 2003
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stranger
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OP
stranger
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 19 |
thinking about raising a glass to a friend's birthday today (two, actually*) got me to wondering about the origin of "cocktail". anyone know how this compound came to represent things alkyholic[hic]?
*that's two friends celebrating birthdays, not two cocktails.
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
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serious? No- i heard all sorts of theories, includeing one about a mix drink being garnished with a 'cocks tail' and so lending it name to all sorts of mixed drinks..
most definately an american thing.. that caught on big during prohibition, when poor quality alcohol was mixed with fruit juices and other flavors to make it more palatible.
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Joined: Apr 2003
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stranger
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OP
stranger
Joined: Apr 2003
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are you saying that cocktail is an american thing? do folks in the UK and the top of the world not even recognize the term?
i hadn't really considered the fact that a cocktail is usually a *mixed drink. it's certainly used for beer or wine as well, though, at least in my experience. but back to the mixing thing ~ is a cock's tail a mix of colors? i suppose a peacock's is.
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Joined: Nov 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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a cocktail is usually a *mixed drink
Nah. A cocktail is served in a stemmed glass i.e. martini, Manhatten, Gibson etc.
Now OED says it's a drink with alcohol combined with bitters ! ?? !
A "mixed drink" is served in a regular tumbler-type glass with alcohol or several alcohol{s}, combined - sometimes with fruit juice(s).
Or so I have always figured.
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Joined: Nov 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Gee whiz, musick! Ya just had to go and be intelligent and search it, din'cha. 
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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A "mixed drink" is served in a regular tumbler-type glass...
... unless you want a "tall" one and then it comes in a *frosted Collins glass.
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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My father used to call drinks "highballs." Maybe that's another name for the martinis, gimlets, etc wow referred to. And what the dickens is a highball anyway?
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Joined: Mar 2001
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addict
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addict
Joined: Mar 2001
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In my frame of reference, ie, what my parents served, a highball was whiskey and some type of (usually sweet) soda, eg, 7-Up, ginger ale. Never martinis, gimlets, etc. Now THOSE were cocktails. 
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2002
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A highball and I don't think I want to know the origin of the term glass is a short straight sided wide glass, the kind movie characters put two fingers of whiskey in. I know that at one time cocktails were considered harmful to the health as opposed to less fancy, unmixed drinks like sherry, so they probably did have a mixture of alcohols in them.
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