barley-bree

noun

barley-bree

noun

Etymology Literally "barley broth". See brew.

1

Scotland, Humorous, Obsolete Liquor that is made from barley; strong ale.

When neibors anger at a plea, / An' just as wud as wud can be, / How easy can the barley-bree / Cement the quarrel! / It's aye the cheapest lawyer's fee, / To taste the barrel.1785, Robert Burns, Scotch Drink:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.