Possible Antedating of "Cocktail"

[Michael Quinion]

Fred Shapiro wrote:

> Here is a possible further antedating:
>
> 1789? _The Prelateiad; or, the Rape of the Holy Bottle_ 22 (Eighteenth
> Century Collections Online)  All _Ceylon's_ spicy gifts its moisture mends,
> And _Kyan's_ Pep. its cock-tail virtue lends.
>
> NOTE: The meaning of the above passage is not at all clear, but the
> context seems to relate to alcoholic drinks.

Or perhaps not. It might be a literal cock's tail, so implying some
characteristic typical of a fighting cock.


--
Michael Quinion
Editor, World Wide Words
E-mail: wordseditor at worldwidewords.org
Web: http://www.worldwidewords.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org