firewater

[ fahyuhr-waw-ter, -wot-er ]

noun

, Often Offensive.

1. alcoholic drink; liquor.

firewater

/ ˈfaɪəˌwɔːtə /

noun

1. any strong spirit, esp whisky

Sensitive Note

It can be very offensive when members of the dominant culture appropriate piecemeal bits of language to imitate or perform impressions of an ethnic or racial minority. Borrowed words like firewater, squaw, and wigwam, or imitative words like how were once used for comedic effect, but they are now considered insensitive to Native Americans and their cultures. Firewater is particularly offensive because it is associated with racist stereotypes about disordered alcohol use among American Indians, which contributed historically to blaming Native victims of racial injustice through disparagement of their moral character.

Word History and Origins

Origin of firewater¹

First recorded in 1820–30; fire + water; probably a translation of an expression in an Algonquian language, as Ojibwe iškote·wa·po· “whiskey” (earlier, other distilled liquors), equivalent to iškote·w-, combining form of iškote· “fire” + -a·po· “liquid”

Example Sentences

After Mass, bottles of aguardiente, a local firewater, and beer were passed around to people in need of a stiff drink after such an emotionally draining day.

From BBC

The firewater in Percy’s stomach started crawling up his throat.

From Literature

Asian consumers probably know the island best for Kaoliang, a sorghum-based firewater that tends to win few fans beyond the region.

From Reuters

Here the Indigenous drink “firewater” and go on the “warpath.”

From New York Times

This combination led indigenous religious leaders to start substituting Coca-Cola for the local firewater, called pox, which they had long used to feed the spirits in their rituals.

From The Guardian

Related Words

• booze
• drink
• ethanol
• liquor
• methanol
• smoke