or Adam’s-wine, Adam, subs. phr. (old).—Water (B. E. and GROSE).
ENGLISH SYNONYMS. Aqua pura; aqua pompaginis; fish broth; pure element.
FRENCH SYNONYMS. Agout; anisette de barbillon; bouillon de canard; essence de parapluie; lance; limonade; sirop (or ratafia) de grenouilles (de l’aiguière or de baromètre).
GERMAN SYNONYM. Gänsewein.
1643. PRYNNE, The Soveraigne Power of Parliaments and Kingdomes, II. 32. They have been … allowed onely a poore pittance of ADAM’S ALE, and scarce a penny bread a day.
d. 1704. T. BROWN, Works, iv. 11.
| Your claret’s too hot——Sirrah, drawer, go bring | |
| A cup of cold ADAM from the next purling spring. |
1694. MOTTEUX, Rabelais, V. xlii. Good, harmless, sober ADAM’S LIQUOR,… in a word mere element.
1706. WARD, The Wooden World Dissected, 72. There’s no bringing him to his true Temperament again but by … the Bilboes, with a Week’s Dieting upon ADAM’S ALE and dry Bisket.
c. 1712. PRIOR, The Wandering Pilgrim.
| A Rechabite poor Will must live, | |
| And drink of ADAM’S ALE. |
1786–9. WOLCOT (‘Peter Pindar’), Lousiad, ii. 453. Old ADAM’S BEVERAGE flows with pride.
1838. WILLIAM WATTS (‘Lucian Redivivus’), Paradise Lost, 54.
| On which, and sloes, they’d oft regale, | |
| And wash ’em down with ADAM’S ALE. |
c. 1845. HOOD, Drinking Song, iv. Will drink ADAM’S ALE, and we’ll get it pool measure.
1864. BIOT [DAVIES, A Supplementary English Glossary, s.v. ADAM’S ALE]. Prof. De Morgan mentioned this as illustrating China ale or beer as applied to tea. The expression was quite new to M. Biot and other Frenchmen. He wrote back, ‘L’ADAM’S ALE qui charme tous ceux de nos philologues à oui je la raconte.’
1869. BLACKMORE, Lorna Doone, lxv. Even at the door of death he could not drink WHAT ADAM DRANK, so I gave him a little more eau-de-vie.
1884. Daily Telegraph, 1 April, 5. 2. The spectral banquet graced by ADAM’S ALE, or sick-room toast and water.
1886. JOHN COLEMAN, Elfie, I. ii. For my part, I stuck to ADAM’S ALE, which Elfie brought from the spring.
