Green’s Dictionary of Slang

rosy, the n.

1. (red) wine [? Fr. rosé].

1841		Dickens Old Curiosity Shop (1999) 60: Richard Swiveller finished the rosy, and applied himself to the composition of another glassful.
1851		Bell’s Life in Sydney 15 Feb. 2/7: He described bim as being a most violent person, and over and above-inclined to indulge ‘in the rosy’.
1854		F. Smedley Harry Coverdale’s Courtship 104: After imbibing the ‘rosy,’ I went ahead like beans.
1862		Waterford Mail 15 Oct. 3/2: A Model Hero of the Pave — An itinerant pedlar named Daly [...] has been sent for trial [...] for using threatening and violent language [...] He got well under the ‘rosy’.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 17 Oct. 10/2: A man who had been gazing on the ‘rosy’ until the said rosy got the upper hand, was brought, the other day, before a Bench in the Parramatta district.
1886		Illus. Sporting & Dramatic News 25 Dec. 7/2: [He] appears to find something humorous in habitually speaking of bed as ‘the downy,’ of wine as ‘the rosy,’ and so forth.
1894		Truth (Sydney) 1 Apr. 2/7: Alice Fraser, for succumbing to the ‘rosy’ [...] was fined 10s.
1900		‘Doss Chiderdoss’ ‘The Food Influence’ Sporting Times 27 Jan. 1/4: He emptied a glass of ‘the rosy.’.
1905		Pensacola Jrnl (FL) 6 Oct. 6/3: Can’t you tell when a jay like that has been lookin’ at de rosy?

2. blood.

1857		Bell’s Life in Victoria (Melbourne) 7 Feb. 4/1: Burke was the first to make play; and leading off with his left with a visit to the smeller of his opponent, at once uncorked ‘the rosy’.
1860		Bell’s Life in Sydney 7 Apr. 4/1: A cut under which the rosy began to flow.
1891		Sporting Life 25 Mar. n.p.: Goddard was smothered in the rosy as he went to his chair [F&H].

3. the good life.

1888

‘’Arry on Marriage’ in Punch 29 Sept. 156/2: The dowdy-domestic, pap-bowls, p’ramberlators, and that / Is not my idea of the rosy.

In compounds

rosy god (n.)

(Aus.) red wine.

1880

Bulletin (Sydney) 7 Feb. 3/2: Many years ago, when the Herald was a little more lively than at present, he used to make its readers roar by his characteristic descriptions of his adventures while under the influence of the rosy god.

In phrases

do the rosy (v.) [? sense 2 or SE rosy, pleasant, enjoyable, positive]

to enjoy oneself, to have a good time.

1891

‘’Arry on a ’ouseboat’ in Punch 15 Aug. 77/1: Lots of toppers [...] / Was a doin’ the rorty and rosy as lively as ’Opkins’s lot.

on the rosy (adj.)

(Aus.) out on a spree.

1895

C. Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 67: Rosy,‘on the rosy,’ drinking, on the spree.