General
plonk
What does plonk mean?
Used affectionately for a no-nonsense drink with no pretension.
"None of your fancy stuff, just a glass of decent plonk will do me."
Origin
British slang from WWI, when soldiers in France mispronounced 'vin blanc' (white wine) as 'plonk'. It became the all-purpose word for cheap wine and stuck for over a century.
Frequently asked questions
What does plonk mean in British slang?
It means cheap, ordinary wine. It came from British soldiers mangling the French 'vin blanc' during WWI.
Is plonk always bad wine?
Not necessarily — it usually means cheap and unpretentious, often used affectionately rather than as an insult.
Why is cheap wine called plonk?
Because WWI soldiers turned the French 'vin blanc' into 'plonk', and the word stuck as British slang for cheap wine.
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