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Word of the Week (244): BEERSIES (*new CSW15*) (probability 21449), by David Sutton

BEERSIES is New Zealand slang for beers. There is no singular BEERSY* or BEERSIE*: possibly New Zealanders never drink just one beer.

Here are a few more alcoholic drinks brought to us courtesy of CSW15. HAPPOSHU, literally 'fizzy alcohol', is a Japanese drink similar to beer. SOJU is a Korean vodka distilled from rice or sweet potatoes. It appears to be the same as the Japanese SHOCHU.

MOSCATO is a sweet dessert wine. MOUSSEUX is a sparkling wine; the word is French for foaming.

NOYAU, a liqueur made from brandy flavoured with bitter almonds or peach-stones, can now take a plural NOYAUX in addition to the existing NOYAUS. NOILY, which was previously just an adjective meaning like noil, a term related to textile fibres, is now also a noun, meaning a dry white vermouth drink more familiar under the tradename Noilly Prat, so we now have NOILIES.

BLACKSTRAP, referring to a drink made from rum and treacle, has now also become a noun, so BLACKSTRAPS.

A SWALLY is a Scots term for any alcoholic drink. And finally YILL, a Scots word for ale, has now acquired a verbal sense: to entertain with ale, so we now have YILLED and YILLING.

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