beenge, binge

i. [Apparently with... the initial sound of bow, bend, and the closing sound of cringe. (N.E.D.)] To cringe, in the way of making much obeisance; to fawn. "An' ding awa' the vexing thought O' hourly dwyning into nought, By been ging to your foppish brithers." Fergu on: Poems , ii. 33. ( Jamie son .) bëer (1), * bëere, s. & a. [A.S. be or = (1) beer, nourishing or strong drink, (2) metheglin (?) (Bosworth); Icel. biorr ; Fries. biar ; Dut. & Ger. bier ; O. H. Ger. bior, pior; Fr. bière ; Ital. birr a ; Wel. bir ; Arm. byer , bir, ber.] A. As substantive: A fermented aqueous infusion of malt and hops, or of malt, sugar, and hops. The term is now applied to all malt liquors prepared by the proce of brewing. Beers are divided into two great cla es, ales and porters, the former being chiefly prepared from pale malt, and having a pale amber colour, whilst in the preparation of the latter a certain proportion of roasted or black malt is used along with the pale malt. This increases the colour, and gives to the porter a somewhat bitter flavour. These two cla es are subdivided into a great many varieties, depending on the strength of the wort used and the amount of hops added. Thus we have pale ale, mild ale, bitter ale, barley wine, table beer, . Stout, brown stout, double brown stout, ., are merely richer and stronger kinds of porter. Genuine beer should consist of water, malt extract (dextrine and glucose), hop extract, and alcohol. The quantity of alcohol in beer varies from two per cent. in table beer to ten or even twelve per cent. in strong ale, and the extract from three to fifteen per cent., the latter giving to the beer its nutritive value. The alcohol present always bears a relation to the amount of sugar fermented. A good sound beer should be perfectly transparent, and have a brilliant colour and a pleasant flavour. Sour beers and beers that are thick are very unwholesome. Legislative acts have been pa ed imposing severe penalties on any brewer or publican who shall have in his po e ion, or who shall sell adulterated beer, and a further heavy penalty on any druggist or other person who shall sell any adulterant to a licensed brewer. Notwithstanding the stringency of these acts, beer has been, and still is, very largely adulterated. The adulterants used at the present time are, however, of a somewhat harmle character. The publican purchases from the brewer a cask of genuine beer. To this he adds, for the sake of profit, a large proportion of water. The beer being now reduced in colour and flavour, must be "doctored." Mola es, foots-sugar, liquorice, or caramel is added to increase the colour; grains of paradise, cayenne, and in some cases even tobacco, to give pungency; and mustard, copperas, salt, and alum to impart a frothy head to the beer. The nitrogenous matter extracted from the malt, and present in the original beer, is thus reduced to a minimum, and the beer-drinker pays for a liquor which may be sweet and pleasant to the taste, but is almost destitute of nourishment. Salt is added, not so much (as some publicans say) to preserve the beer, as to increase the thirst, and thereby impart a craving for more drink. Cocculus indicus , picric acid, strychnine, and opium, said to be adulterants, are now seldom, if ever, used to adulterate beer. "Flow, Welsted! flow, like thine inspirer, beer I Tho stale, not ripe; tho thin, yet ever clear; So sweetly mawkish, and so smoothly dull; Heady, not strong; and foaming, thơ not full." Pope : Dunciad , bk. iii., 169-172. B. As adjective: Intended to contain or actually containing beer; designed for the sale of beer, or in any other way pertaining to beer. (See the subjoined compounds.)