Canadian slang with two related meanings: a person who drinks rubbing alcohol or cheap, dangerous substitutes for liquor, typically someone in the grip of severe alcoholism; or rubbing alcohol itself when used as a beverage substitute. 'Rubby' is associated with street poverty and addiction, and while the word can be used matter-of-factly in social-services contexts, it carries significant stigma. Its usage reflects the grim realities faced by people experiencing homelessness and substance dependency.
The shelter workers knew the regulars by name — men the neighborhood called rubbies but who had full histories of their own.
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(Canadian, slang) rubbing alcohol.
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(Canadian, slang) A drunkard.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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