naggin

What it means

1. 1.

   A 200ml bottle of spirits — the flat one that fits in a coat pocket or a sock. A unit of measurement in Irish social life, especially for teenagers and students.

In use

• Grab a naggin of vodka on the way.

• There were naggins hidden all over the field.

  Note: Festival and debs-night vocabulary. A 'shoulder' is the next size up, 350ml.

Where it comes from

From 'noggin', an old measure of liquid of about a quarter pint. Britain lost the word; Ireland kept it because the bottle size stayed on sale, and it is now printed on shelf labels as well as spoken.

Other forms

Similar terms:

shoulder