briny n.
1. the sea; the seaside.
| [ | ![[Ire]](/static/img/flags/ire.png "Ireland") | Spirit of Irish Wit 167: A morning dip in the briny element]. |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Punch 17 July 4: Tom swells the briny with tears. | |
| Kate Coventry (1865) 150: The luckless plight in which a stout gentleman had found himself, by the temporary loss of all his apparel, while he was disporting in the briny. | |
| My Diary in America II 273: To me a ‘dip in the Briny’ is about the most excruciating torture physically. | |
| ‘Blood-Stained Boot-Jack’ Log of Commodore Rollingpin 254: Till Abigail sails with me o’er the brine. | |
| ‘’Arry on the Rail’ Punch 13 Sept. 109/1: We ’adn’t much time by the briny, the weather, as usual, was rummy. | |
| Punch 15 Jan. 14: Hullo, my Jellaby, you here! Come and take a dip in the briny, old man [...]. | |
![[Aus]](/static/img/flags/aus.png "Australia") | Bulletin (Sydney) 17 Jan. 12/3: The most opportune time for butchers to indulge in a ‘sniff of the briny’ is when the sea is ‘choppy.’. | |
| ‘The Lobster and the Whale’ 🎵 But that funny old whale don’t waggle his tail – Now his tale has been told in the briny. | |
| In London’s Heart 86: ‘You’ll get ’em out of the country at once – ’fore the bills are out?’ [...] ‘Six hours after you bring ’em to me, Dook, the chap as I shall work the job through ’ull be on the briny.’. | |
| [perf. Vesta Victoria] A 'oliday on One Pound Ten 🎵 I’ve been stopping out of town / For a week beside the briny. | |
| [perf. Marie Lloyd] Folkestone for the Day 🎵 We got dry, and wanted pots o’ malt / Wasn’t our fault, ‘Briny’ is so salt. | |
| Sun. Times (Perth) 15 Jan. 4/8: A mixed bathing party from a Port hotel [...] disport themselves in the briny o’ nights. | |
| Chuckles 10 Jan. 1: Breezy Ben From The Briny. | |
| Sport (Adelaide) 21 Feb. 10/1: They Say [...] Why did not Wilf. L., the school teacher, go out with the bhoys last Sunday on the briny? | |
| Film Fun 24 Apr. 1: The funny old FILM FUN favourites off to the briny for a spell. | |
| Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld) 1 Mar. 10/4: I slips the bag off my shoulder and flop she goes into the briny. | |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Half a Million Tramps 245: Forty-eight hours more and we shall be on the ‘briny’. | |
| letter 28 Sept. in Baker Sel. Letters (1981) 603: We are off to the briny. | |
| Stone Mad (1966) 140: Wan look at the briny an’ ye’re fit for a stretcher. Why don’t yer keep to the land where you belong? | |
| Aunt Clara [film script] They’ll be splashing about in the briny . | |
| , | | DAS. |
| Confessions of Proinsias O’Toole 137: All mad drunk and busting for a charabanc ride to the briny. | |
| Life Without Armour (1996) 108: After skimming the old one duck-and-drake across the briny. | |
| Guardian Weekend 3 June 5: What, [...] when they’re dying for a dip in the briney? | |
| Something Fishy (2006) 37: I lunged for the side and barfed into the briny. | |
| Empty Wigs (t/s) 629: The ship bounced up and down on the blowsy churning briny. |
2. (US) a drink of alcohol.
| Madball (2019) 144: Dr. Magus picked up the whisky bottle [...] ‘Have one, Sammy. [...] Only remember this—he didn’t tell you exactly how big those brinies could be’. |
In phrases
1. to burst into tears; to weep.
| Adventures of Mr Verdant Green (1982) III 343: You’ve no idea how she turned on the main and did the briny. | |
| Eve. Star (Wash., DC) 11 Sept. 20/2: They’re there with the big-noise mitt for the goody folks and the hiss-ss-ss thing for the punkerinos and the briny gag for the choky passages. | |
| Truth (Perth) 3 Sept. 10/8: Tears do fall, with buzzum heavin / [...] / So she does a bit more briney / Lookin werry wretched there. |
2. to go to the seaside.
| ‘’Arry at the Sea-Side’ in Punch 10 Sept. 111/1: I’m doin’ the briny, dear boy. |