What does "rush the growler" mean?
After Dome referenced the name used by the N.C. Beer and Wine Wholesalers Asssociation for its annual party, a reader e-mailed to dispute our definition.
In the post, we said the "growler" was a jug or pail used for moonshine which was "rushed" by the crowd when it showed up at a party.
But retired engineer John O'Connor of Raleigh said his wife heard a definition from her parents' friend that dated back to the early 1900s in Boston.
That definition, also given by this linguistics Web site, holds that the "growler" was a pitcher that was taken to a local tavern to buy beer, often by children.
"Rushing the growler," then, was to tell the child to hurry to the bar and back and may have denoted that the rusher, as it were, was an alcoholic.
No one agrees on where the term "growler" comes from, however.
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Re: Who rushes the growler, exactly?
"No one agrees on where the term "growler" comes from, however."
A former buddy of mine down at Bragg raised beagles for a few years, and there was nothing funnier than watching a bunch of beagle puppies sharing a big dogfood bowl, eating and growling at the same time. :)