Brewer's: Larigot

Boire à tire larigot. To tope, to bouse. Larigot is a corruption of “l'arigot ” (a limb), and boire a tire l'arigot means simply “to drink with all your might,” as jouer de l'arigot means “to play your best” —i.e. “with all your power.” It is absurd to derive the word larigot from “la Rigaud,” according to Noel Taillepied, who says (Rouen xlv.): “Au xiii. siècle, l'archevèque Eudes Rigaud fit présent à la ville de Rouen d'une cloche à laquelle resta son nom. Cette cloche était d'une grandeur et d'une grosseur, telles que ceux qui la mettaient en mouvement ne manquaient pas de boire abondamment pour reprendre des forces. De là l'habitude de comparer ceux qui buvaient beaucoup aux sonneurs chargés de tirer la Rigaud,” i.e. the bell so called.

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