Know Your English (May 2001)

Know your English

How do you pronounce the word ``hooch''?

The ``oo'' is like the ``oo'' in ``fool'', ``cool'', and ``pool''. The final ``ch'' is like the ``ch'' in ``chips'', ``chap'', and ``chin''. Any idea what the word means? This is a word used in very informal contexts in American English to refer to any alcoholic beverage that has been made illegally. Here are a few examples.
* He offered me some hooch, but I turned it down.
* I would like to have some more of that hooch, please.
* One could smell the hooch three miles away.


Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, May 22, 2001