gin blossoms
Definition: (noun phrase) broken capillaries that make a person’s nose or face red (caused by too much drinking)
Example: Barney was shocked when his face developed gin blossoms because he had drunk nothing but vodka for forty years.
Quote:
“Granted, Gin Palace won’t be for everyone, but it’s for those who occasionally dig a little loud and distorted blues chaos in their drinks. As it is, I’m one of “those,” and I want my nose to be ridden with gin blossoms, a la W.C. Fields, at the hands of these three bartenders of rock and roll.”
Last fall, Slang City introduced the Name Game quiz on the origin of band names, but one we left out was the Gin Blossoms. The group’s name was inspired by a picture of gin blossom sufferer and early 20th century comedian W.C. Fields, who once said, “Now don't say you can't swear off drinking; it's easy. I've done it a thousand times.”
With a name like that, it’s not surprising that the band experienced conflict because of alcohol problems. Doug Hopkins, who wrote some of their most popular hits, left the band in 1992 and committed suicide a year later.
According to the Gin and Vodka Association, gin was originally produced in Holland, leading to its nickname Dutch Courage. Since the 1700s, it has also been known as mother’s milk, blue ruin (for the color), and most charmingly, strip and go naked.
A. C. Kemp | March 31, 2005
