English Explanatory Dictionary

wet the shamrock

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To go for an alcoholic drink, especially as part of a victory celebration or on Saint Patrick's Day.

Pronunciation

/ˌwɛt ðə ˈʃæmɹɒk/ /ˌwɛt ðə ˈʃæmˌɹɑk/ En-us-wet the shamrock.oga

Word forms

wet the shamrock wets the shamrock wetting the shamrock wetted the shamrock

Etymology

From wet (“to celebrate by drinking alcohol”) + the + shamrock (“trefoil leaf of any small clover, especially Trifolium repens, or a clover-like plant, commonly used as a symbol of Ireland”), from the custom, also known as drowning the shamrock, of removing a shamrock worn on one’s clothing on Saint Patrick’s Day and placing it at the bottom of a glass which is then filled with an alcoholic beverage and consumed; according to some authorities the shamrock is then retrieved from the empty glass and thrown over the left shoulder.

Related words

wet one's beak wet one's whistle wet the baby's head wet the other eye
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