subs. phr. (common).—1. Ginger ale.
2. (American).—The Schlechter whiskey of the Pennsylvania Dutch—a very inferior spirit: also called BUG-POISON: now applied to bad whiskey of every brand.
1877. Osborne County (Kansas) Farmer [BARTLETT]. We have taken wood, potatoes, corn, eggs, butter, onions, cabbages, chickens, stone, lumber, labor, sand, calico, sourkraut, coon skins and BUG JUICE on subscriptions, in our time, and now a man writes us to know if we would send the paper six months for a large owl…. If we come across any fellow who is out of owl, and is in need of one, we’ll do it.
1888. Texas Siftings, 7 July. It is a singular fact, that nearly every character introduced by Charles Dickens into his numerous novels, was addicted to drinking … each and every individual took his BUG-POISON with surprising regularity and eminent satisfaction.
