"quarter water" means: A combination of water, food coloring, and sugar sold as a drink in small plastic bottles for 25 cents.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
quarter water
(US) A combination of water, food coloring, and sugar sold as a drink in small plastic bottles for 25 cents.
Definitions
(US) A combination of water, food coloring, and sugar sold as a drink in small plastic bottles for 25 cents.
A bell rings and Pavlov's law is confirmed every time; the ice cream truck comes up the street and kids start flying from their houses; and we get in line to make our selection of pop sickles, quarter waters, push up pops, and rockets.
"quarter water" means: A combination of water, food coloring, and sugar sold as a drink in small plastic bottles for 25 cents.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"quarter water" means: A combination of water, food coloring, and sugar sold as a drink in small plastic bottles for 25 cents.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (US) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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