rotgut
UK[ˈrɒtɡʌt]US[ˈrɑːtɡʌt]
n
Very cheap, low-quality, and often harmful alcoholic drink, especially whiskey or gin.
Morpheme Breakdown
rot
gut
rot
gut
Etymology
The word "rotgut" is a vivid English compound from the early 17th century, originating from the descriptive slang of taverns and distilleries. It literally combines "rot," meaning to decay or putrefy, with "gut," referring to the stomach or intestines. The term's logic is brutally direct: it names the drink by its purported effect, suggesting a liquor so crude and impure that it would cause one's innards to rot. This figurative meaning evolved from the literal concept of physical corruption to describe the abstract quality of any dangerously cheap and poorly made spirit.
Analysis
Structure: rot + gut
rot: From Old English rotian (to decay, become putrid). In this compound, it functions as a modifier describing the quality or effect of the substance.
gut: From Old English guttas (intestines, belly). In this compound, it functions as the object affected, referring to the internal organs.
Examples
The old prospector spent his last coin on a bottle of rotgut whiskey.
They warned us not to drink the local rotgut, as it was known to cause severe illness.
The bar was known for serving little more than rotgut to its desperate patrons.