What’s your poison?
informal phrase

- a humorous way of asking which alcoholic drink someone would like

Longman Dictionary

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ORIGIN

Liquor was jokingly called “poison” in the 19th century. Bar patrons would thus select their “poison”.

“Nominate your poison” was cited in March 1864. “Name your poison” was cited in December 1870.

“What’s your poison?” was cited in July 1871.

Interestingly, an 1888 “choose your poison” citation referred to Democrats and Republicans!

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CREATIVE DRINKING

Catherine I of Russia ruled that no gentleman should be drunk before 9 p.m. and no lady should be drunk at any hour.

Princess Elizabeth, Catherine’s spirited daughter, and the other young ladies of the court soon found a way to circumvent the rules — by dressing as men and throwing transvestite balls.

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7 FUNNY WAYS TO REFUSE A DRINK

1. Liquor interferes with my ancient magic powers.

2. I don’t drink. I absorb all the fluids I need through osmosis.

3. Why don’t I drink? What is this…7th grade? Peer pressure doesn’t work on me!

4. One should never drink while operating heavy machinery. If you’re wondering, the heavy machinery is my brain.

5. When I drink I seem to gain a temporary Degree in Interior Design.

6. Not drinking makes my liver more valuable on the black market.

7. My poison is a plant.

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SYNONYMS for beverages containing ethanol

alcoholic beverage/drink/liquor, aqua vitae, ardent spirits, booze, bracer, brandy, brew, canned heat, chaser, corn liquor, demon drink, Dutch courage, elixir, falling-down juice, firewater, grog, gut-rot, hooch, inebriant, intoxicant, intoxicating drink/liquor, John Barleycorn, libation, liquid refreshment, moonshine, mother’s milk, mountain dew, palliative, poison, potation, quencher, red-eye, refreshment, rotgut, shorts, snifter, spirits, spiritus frumenti, strong waters, the hard stuff, the devil’s nectar, thirst quencher, tincture, tipple, toddy, wallop, white lightning

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SMUGGLE OWAD into today’s conversation, say something like:

“Non-native speakers of English might be rather confused by the question ‘WHAT’S YOUR POISON?’“

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HERZLICHEN DANK to all readers helping me keep OWAD alive with single or monthly donations at:

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and,

Paul Smith, IBAN: DE75 7316 0000 0002 5477 40