Sense file
How the sense moved
The archive follows the dated record first, then reads the social or rhetorical pressure that hardened, softened, narrowed, or reversed the word.
Older meaning
An early mixed spirits drink, with its naming origin already obscure to contemporaries.
Modern meaning
A mixed alcoholic drink; by extension, a mixture of elements.
Research lens
A perfect archive reminder that the most satisfying origin story is often the one the record cannot fully guarantee.
Meaning trail
Earliest record
mixed spirits drink
The drink is attested before its naming logic is clear.
Debated path
several competing explanations
The archive keeps the story open where the record stays messy.
Now
drink or mixture
The mixed-drink term widened into a general blend metaphor.