General
minerals
What does minerals mean?
Soft drinks. Anything sweet and fizzy in a bottle or can. The word that catches tourists out at Irish weddings when the bar lists 'pints, shorts and minerals'.
"I'm driving, I'll just have a mineral."
Origin
Short for 'mineral waters' — the Victorian term for carbonated soft drinks, which got fossilised in Irish English long after the rest of the world moved on to 'soda' or 'fizzy drink'.
Frequently asked questions
What does minerals mean in Irish slang?
Minerals means fizzy drinks — Coke, 7Up, Club Orange, the lot.
How do you use minerals in a sentence?
"Grab a few minerals for the kids while you're at the shop."
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