Comments on: Azed 1995

By: Bob Sharkey

Bob Sharkey — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:49:56 +0000

Thanks for that bolt from the blue. I agree entirely. Do you know a chug from a pink?

By: RichWA

RichWA — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:53:24 +0000

My problem with 4D was not CHUG, which I have met in American fiction, but BOLT. I am sure I have never come across it being used to mean “to drink quickly”, only “to eat quickly” – and that is how it is explicitly defined in Collins, Penguin and the on-line Oxford dictionary.
Anyway, the grandchildren have gone home so, as you say, let’s get on with 1996

By: bridgesong

bridgesong — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:23:01 +0000

Thanks, all, for your comments. I agree with Bob Sharkey and Gaufrid about 29A and 23D. On reflection I was perhaps a bit harsh in my comments about stretching the meaning of CHUG. Anyway, time to finish 1996!

By: grandpuzzler

grandpuzzler — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:16:25 +0000

Thanks, Bridgesong, for your excellent blog. Also, thanks to Bob Sharkey for the interesting Oxford citation on chug which indicates a North American origin in the 1980′s. My buddies and I were chugging beer in college in Bellingham, WA in the early 60′s. Little did we know how far ahead of the curve we were!

By: Claire

Claire — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:40:32 +0000

Thanks Bridgesong.

Like yourself, I was on holiday last week without access to Chambers etc. and surprised myself by being able to complete so much. I had begun to think I’m normally perhaps too quick to resort to aids and resolved to tackle this week’s puzzle unaided.

Ah well – back to the dictionary.

By: David Mansell

David Mansell — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:53:57 +0000

Looks like I’ll have to buy the new edition of Chambers. Curses!

By: Bob Sharkey

Bob Sharkey — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:46:25 +0000

My 1999 Oxford Concise gives ‘chug(2) v. (chugged,chugging) N Amer. informal consume (a drink) in large gulps without pausing. – ORIGIN 1980s: imitative’

By: Bob Sharkey

Bob Sharkey — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:33:26 +0000

In addition, it gives ‘vt(sl) to drink in quick gulps [Imit}’

By: Bob Sharkey

Bob Sharkey — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:30:35 +0000

2008 edition gives ‘a quick or large swallow, esp of an alcoholic drink (sl)’

By: David Mansell

David Mansell — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:10:08 +0000

4 dn. Where do you find “swallow hastily” as a subsidiary meaning of “chug”. It’s not in my 2003 Chambers. Perhaps in the 2008 edition?