I need a fuller desription or definition or the word "LUSH" when
applied to a woman. I am aware of the short answer ie. drunkard or
alchohlic, Im looking for a more descriptive answer

Dear High House, 

Actually, the exact origin of the word "lush" as referring to
drunkenness or to drunks is not clear. The American Heritage
Dictionary <http://www.bartleby.com/61/55/L0295500.html> only mentions
its colloquial meaning, without mentioning its origin.

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the noun "Lush" is found
in the late 19th century, and stems from an earlier slang meaning
"liquor" (1790). That word could have been developed from
tinkers'/Romany Irish Travellers' jargon, but also from the formal
usage of the word, as an adjective describing: "lax, flaccid, soft,
tender," (Source: The Online Etymology Dictionary,
<http://www.etymonline.com/l4etym.htm>).

To strengthen the assumption that the word originated from Irish
Travellers' jargon (Shelta). A Shelta glossary, based on "The Secret
Languages of Ireland", R. A. Stewart Macalister, Cambridge University
Press 1937, Ch. VI. pp. 174-224, contains two interpretations to the
word "luš". The first is as a verb, meaning "To eat", "to drink" or
"to smoke a pipe", while the reference to drinking is more common
among Cants (US Irish Travellers); and as a noun refereeing to "luš
‘porter’ (the drink)". (Source: John Bear, "A Vocabulary of Shelta,
transcribed from The Secret Languages of Ireland, by R. A. Stewart
Macalister, Cambridge University Press 1937",
http://www.alphalink.com.au/~minky/macalisterras1937/sheltal.html).

The site "Take our Word for it" also claims that the word originated
from the Shelta Travellers: "This word also comes from a Gypsy
language but in this case it is from the Shelta (also known as
"Sheltru") tongue.  Shelta must be the most obscure of the several
languages which are indigenous to the British Isles.  It is a creole
formed by combining Welsh grammar with a vocabulary taken from Romany,
Gaelic and Welsh.   (Yikes!)" (Source: Take Our Word for It, 14 June
1999, http://www.takeourword.com/Issue044.html).

I hope that answered your question. I searched the web looking for the
etymology of the word. If you need any clarification on the answer,
please let me know. I'd be pleased to clarify my question before you
rate it.

---

Request for Answer Clarification by highhouse-ga on 11 Jun 2003 04:00 PDT

Thankyou for your very descriptive origin, however I was more
interested in the slang use of the word as in "She is nothing but a
lush" or "You are a lush"

---

Clarification of Answer by politicalguru-ga on 12 Jun 2003 00:05 PDT

Dear High House,  

The drinking-related meaning I have analysed before is a slang meaning
(see also Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition.  1995 at
http://www.bartleby.com/62/71/L0937100.html). Blue Valley Slag
Dictionary also defines a "lush" as "Someone who drinks too much
alcohol; an alcoholic." (Source: Blue Valley Slang Dictionary:
http://www.bluevalleys.com/english-lessons/more.asp?type=slang&n=48).

In Victorian England, there were even the terms "Lushery" and "Lushing
Ken" - "A place where a lush may be had.  A low public house or
drinking den." (Source: British Slang - Lower Class and Underworld -
19th Century, http://www.tlucretius.net/Sophie/Castle/victorian_slang.html),
as well as the term "Lushington", to describe a drunkard (ibid).

An alternative interpretation comes from the British slang. 

For example, the "Playground Slang" Dictionary defines lush as: 
"n. very good, tasting really nice, looking really attractive. i.e.
"She's really lush.", "That tastes lush.", "Did you see that programme
last night, it was lush". circa. early/mid 1980's, f. luscious UK"
(Source: The Online Dictionary of Playground Slang,
http://www.odps.org/slangl.html) and even adds "Lush McGush", which is
an "adj. Superlative of lush. If it wasn't just lush, but particularly
good, it was Lush McGush. Several other words were "Mc" something'd
but contributor forgot them. (ed: suggestions please??) cf. lush
circa. 1970 - 80's UK (SM)" (Source: ibid.)

Moreover, according to the Bristolian slang dictionary, "lush" is an
adjective for "very nice", as in "That sandwich was gurt lush."
(Source: BRISTOLIAN DICTIONARY,
http://www.thatbebristle.co.uk/dictionary/l.htm).

This dictionary of slag contains both terms, the "good" adjective and
the derogatory noun: http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/l.htm ; as well as
the Probert Encyclopaedia, which defines "lush":
"Lush is slang for a heavy drinker, especially an alcoholic.
Lush is slang for intoxicating liquor.
Lush is British slang for very attractive, desirable." (Source:
http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/ZL.HTM).

If to get back to the negative meaning of a lush, sentences such as
""She is nothing but a lush" or "You are a lush", could be applied
first and foremost to describe an alcoholic. However, slang, as an
informal language, tends to be very dynamic. These sentences could be
applied, probably, in some circumstances, not only to the drinker, but
also to someone behaving like one, or behaving funny and incoherently
in general.

I hope that clarified my answer.

Very in depth, however my question required, a "definition" not an
"origin" the subsiquent reply to my clarification request was nearer
to my question. In short the answer was "too intelectual" many thanks
I am pleased with the result as a first time user.

I'd like to add one comment. Since you mention that the term is being
applied to a woman, there's another aspect where "lush" might used as
an adjective referring to a woman's curvaceous body, rather than to
her drinking habits. I have heard young men say "she's really lush,"
meaning "well-upholstered" or "zaftig." This may be a shortened form
of "luscious," or it may be a variant of "lush" in the sense of
"abundant."

Of course, "she's really a lush" would be a very different thing.