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Horlicks

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Horlicks¹

  • /ˈhɔːlɪks/

Rhymes with -ɔːlɪks

Where it comes from

The name of the drink, first sold as "Horlick's Infant and Invalids Food", is derived from the surname of its developers, James (1844–1921) and William Horlick (1846–1936); equivalent to Horlick + -'s (possessive marker). The term later became a euphemism for bollocks (“mess; to make a mess of”).

noun Horlicks · horlicks

  1. UK, countable, uncountable A hot bedtime drink made with malted milk. When the theatres turned out, people flocked back for their Horlickses and cocoas. Because of the summer visitors, we were open till one o'clock in the morning.
  2. UK, countable, euphemistic, slang, uncountable Bollocks, a mess or balls-up. McDonald & Dodds is back, with episode one so deliberately hammy and meta that, technically, it should have been a complete horlicks. In one scene, when they were all hanging on to the balloon ropes, Mr Bean-like, to stop Jason Watkins flying away, it sort of was.
  3. UK, countable, euphemistic, slang, uncountable Bollocks, nonsense, false statements. As sleep patterns come unstuck and more and more people complain of not getting enough shuteye, so businesses have spotted an opportunity. […] And beware any consumer product which claims it will transform your slumber: it’s probably a load of Horlicks.

verb Horlickses · Horlicksing · Horlicksed · horlicks

  1. UK, euphemistic, slang To make a mess of (something); to bollocks. I have seen a priest massacred in charge of a Mass, experienced schoolmasters carbonated in charge of a class and felt hairdressers Horlicksed in charge of hair clippers. / On a more lasting level, it is possible for surprisingly long periods of time to be drunk in charge of a relationship.

Horlicks²

  • /ˈhɔːlɪks/

Rhymes with -ɔːlɪks

Where it comes from

Variant of Horlick.

proper noun Horlickses

  1. A surname. “But how can this be, for Mr. Horlicks suffered from such a painful back condition that he could hardly walk?” she informed Hodgekiss. “Not anymore!” said Hodgekiss with a twinkle in his eye.

Horlicks³

  • /ˈhɔːlɪks/

Rhymes with -ɔːlɪks

proper noun

  1. plural plural of Horlick

horlicks⁴

noun horlicks

  1. countable, uncountable Alternative letter-case form of Horlicks.Horlicks McDonald & Dodds is back, with episode one so deliberately hammy and meta that, technically, it should have been a complete horlicks. In one scene, when they were all hanging on to the balloon ropes, Mr Bean-like, to stop Jason Watkins flying away, it sort of was.

verb horlickses · horlicksing · horlicksed

  1. Alternative letter-case form of Horlicks.Horlicks Not the groundsman's fault Australia horlicksed it all up in the space of a couple of hours on Friday.

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