shine
Homemade whiskey — moonshine, usually clear and strong.
Also called 'shine, moonshine.
Updated September 24, 2026
shine pronunciation
/SHYN/
Meaning
In redneck and mountain talk, shine is short for moonshine: illegal or homemade liquor, often corn whiskey poured clear as water. Folks say it about a jar behind the seat, a jug on the porch, or whatever somebody cooked up back in the hollow. Outsiders lean on the full word; people who drink it or make it often just say shine.
How folks use it
- “He's got a mason jar of shine under the truck seat.”
- “Pap's up the holler makin' shine again.”
Origin and etymology
Shortened from moonshine, the old name for liquor made or moved at night to dodge the law. American Speech noted back in 1929 that folks said moonshine, "or more commonly, 'shine." It stuck hard in Appalachia and the rural South, where stills and revenuers were part of everyday talk.
Frequently asked questions
Is shine always illegal?
Historically it meant untaxed homemade whiskey. These days legal distilleries sell stuff labeled moonshine too, but the word still carries that backwoods jar feel.