cooler
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A glass of porter as a wind up, after drinking spirits and water. This form of drinking is sometimes called "putting the beggar on the gentleman."
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “cooler” mean?
A glass of porter as a wind up, after drinking spirits and water. This form of drinking is sometimes called "putting the beggar on the gentleman."
Is “cooler” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.