grog-blossom

A sailor with a grog-blossom laughs heartily with his mates.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A red, swollen nose caused by excessive drinking of alcohol: "grog-blossom" refers to a nose that has become red, bulbous, or marked with visible veins due to chronic alcohol consumption, especially of grog (a term for alcoholic drink).

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The old sailor had a prominent grog-blossom that told of his many years at sea. (A red, swollen nose from drinking alcohol.)
  • His grog-blossom was difficult to hide, even under a thick layer of powder. (A nose disfigured by heavy drinking.)

Advanced Usage

• "to sport a grog-blossom": to have or display a red, swollen nose from alcohol use.
  • After decades of hard drinking, he sported a noticeable grog-blossom. (He showed a visible sign of alcohol abuse on his face.)

Variants and Related Words

• Grog (n): a type of alcoholic drink, especially rum diluted with water, often associated with sailors.
  • The sailors shared a ration of grog before dinner. (A diluted alcoholic beverage.)

Synonyms

• Rhinophyma: a medical condition causing a red, swollen nose, often associated with alcoholism.
• Drinker's nose: a colloquial term for a nose reddened by alcohol.
• Whiskey nose: another informal term for a red nose from drinking.

Related Idioms

• To have a nose like a strawberry: to have a red, swollen nose, similar to a grog-blossom.
  • His nose looked like a strawberry after years of heavy drinking. (His nose was red and bulbous.)

Notes

• The term "grog-blossom" is informal and somewhat archaic, often used humorously or disparagingly to describe a physical sign of alcoholism. It is not a medical term but a colloquialism.