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Glite Dictionary
bloody shame

bloody shame

8.6
A spicy tomato drink without alcohol like a Bloody Mary
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : Virgin Mary
  • She ordered a bloody shame so she could enjoy brunch without the alcohol.

Examples

  • The bartender offered to make me a bloody shame since I was the designated driver.

  • I ordered a bloody shame instead of a cocktail.

  • If you want a spicy drink but don't want to drink, try a bloody shame.

  • Is a bloody shame just as tasty as the original?

  • At the brunch, I chose to have a bloody shame to enjoy the flavor without the alcohol.

  • I love a bloody shame because it gives me the classic taste of a cocktail without any booze.

  • When I'm driving, I always opt for a bloody shame to stay sober while still having a delicious drink.

Synonyms

Virgin Mary
vsbloody shame
1 3.5

A drink of tomato juice and spices with no alcohol

is an alternate name for the same drink

Surface Forms

bloody shame singular
bloody shames plural

Morphology

bloody + shame

The phrase names a non-alcoholic variant of the cocktail Bloody Mary and is a playful coinage; knowing 'bloody' (chiefly a British expletive) and 'shame' (a pity) does not lead a B1 learner to the idea of a tomato-based mocktail. The meaning relies on world knowledge of the drink name and a lexical play rather than transparent composition, so the sense is unpredictable from the parts.

Etymology

Bloody shame is a playful name for a tomato drink like a Bloody Mary but made without alcohol. One popular story says the name plays on the red tomato, shown by bloody, and a joking complaint that it has no vodka, shown by shame, so the phrase now means 'a Bloody Mary without alcohol'.