randan

Three rowers propel a randan down the river.

Definition

Noun (countable and uncountable)

1. A style of rowing with three people: "randan" refers to a method of rowing a boat where three individuals handle the oars, typically with one person using two oars (sculling) and the other two each using one oar (rowing).
2. A boat designed for this style: "randan" can also mean the boat itself, built or rigged for three rowers.
3. A spree of drinking and carousing (slang, chiefly British): "randan" denotes a period of noisy, drunken revelry or partying.

Usage Examples

• Style of rowing:
  They preferred a randan for their afternoon outing on the river. (They chose to row with three people using a specific arrangement of oars.)

• Boat:
  The old randan was stored in the boathouse, its paint faded from years of use. (The boat built for three rowers was kept in storage.)

• Drinking spree (slang):
  After the exam, the students went on the randan until dawn. (They engaged in a heavy drinking session late into the night.)

Advanced Usage

• "to go on the randan": to go out drinking and have a wild, enjoyable time, often with a sense of excess.
  • He was known to go on the randan every Friday night without fail. (He regularly indulged in heavy drinking and partying.)

Variants and Related Words

• Randan (noun, variant spelling): sometimes spelled "randan" without change, but no common derivatives exist.

Synonyms

• For the rowing sense: triple scull, three-oared boat.
• For the slang sense: binge, carouse, bender, spree.

Idioms

• "on the randan": engaged in a drinking spree.
  • They were on the randan all weekend and felt terrible on Monday. (They were heavily drinking and partying throughout the weekend.)