syrup n A sweet, fruit-flavoured commercial cordial; a drink prepared from such a cordial diluted with water; CLINGY.
1860-1 Journ of Assembly Appendix, p. 535 I paid one shilling and eight pence for four glasses of rum
punch and two glasses of syrup. 1892 Evening Herald 5 Nov They demanded another [drink], but were given
syrup. [1900 OLIVER & BURKE] 57 "The Topsail Geisha": Lemon syrup / For the gentlemen. 1951 N Y
Folklore Qtly vii, 272 [During Christmas everybody served] whiskey and wine for the men. and, for the ladies, big bottles of syrup to which hot water was added. T 365-67 An' somebody'd come along an'offer you some sweets an' a glass of syrup maybe. 1976 GUY 61 Glasses of lemon crystals or strawberry syrup or lime juice. 1979 TIZZARD 222 After the [Christmas) presents were given out and the concert was over there would be syrup and cake—always red syrup, so it was either raspberry or strawberry flavor, the syrup was made by Purity Factories Ltd, St John's.
