rot gut
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Small beer; called beer-a-bumble--will burst one's guts before it will make one tumble.
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “rot gut” mean?
Small beer; called beer-a-bumble--will burst one's guts before it will make one tumble.
Is “rot gut” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.