Potvalency

Potvalency

Dutch courage is for gin-addled lowlanders; if you need a geographically neutral term for bravery born of booze, you want potvalency. Potvalency, or potvaliancy, refers to artificial courage due to the influence of alcohol. Etymology: Pot (drinking cup) with valiancy, which derives from the Latin verb valere (to be strong).

“Randall sipped his gin and pondered the front door. He wasn’t an alcoholic. He was a coward who relied on potvalency to make it through the day. Outside traffic hummed, people chattered and the world lay in wait.”


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