Virgin Mary
1
3.5
- noun
- /ˈvɜrdʒɪn ˈmɛri/
:
Bloody Mary sin alcohol
- I'll have a Virgin Mary with extra spices, please.
Examples
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When she isn't drinking alcohol, she often orders a Virgin Mary for its rich flavor.
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At the party, I enjoyed a Virgin Mary instead of a regular cocktail.
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"...'cause I got the Virgin Mary.
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That's why we conjure up spirits, from the Virgin Mary to our dearly departed, because we need to talk to them, not the other way around.
Synonyms
A spicy tomato drink without alcohol like a Bloody Mary
How Alcoholic
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'virgin' can be extended to mean 'without alcohol' in beverage naming, so a learner who knows 'virgin' and that 'Mary' refers to the Bloody Mary cocktail could infer it is a non-alcoholic drink. However, this relies on cultural naming conventions (using 'virgin' for alcohol-free versions) and the proper noun 'Mary' does not itself indicate ingredients, so the meaning is partially but not fully predictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure.
Etymology
Virgin Mary (the drink) is the alcohol-free version of a Bloody Mary, and bartenders use the word 'virgin' to show it has no alcohol. So the name tells you it tastes like a Bloody Mary but is 'without alcohol'.