short note: black strap molasses

[Joel S. Berson]

Victor, I'm not sure what you intend by the
following.  "Quick search" turns up "black
strap", and as you say the OED has a definition,
which is as good as an "entry" for me.  Also, why
cite a 1936 instance?  The OED entry has quotations from 1785 to 1842.

Joel

At 5/27/2011 02:37 AM, victor steinbok wrote:
>...
>Black strap is old slang for inferior port or, as OED suggests in its
>definition, a weak mixture of treacle and rum. Since molasses are
>essentially treacle, this makes for an odd formation in "black strap
>molasses". OED has no entry, but does show it in a quotation under "strike
>me blind". ("black strap" can be found under "black")
>
>1936    B. Adams Ships & Women viii. 180   The dish‥called
> > ‘strike-me-blind’. Boiled rice, with black-strap molasses.

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