The term is from "The Difference Engine" by Bruce Sterling and describes a certain kind of journalist. The story is set at the time of Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace/Byron.
What does it mean?
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1I'm not sure what is meant, but I'll include the quote: "Mallory, having met more that his share of gin-and-water reporters, hacks pursuing wide-eyed articles on the great Leviathan, registered a faint twinge of anxiety; this fellow evinced the smooth self-possession of the extremely well-advantaged.– Jacob MattisonCommented Apr 29, 2014 at 17:00
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I think that gin and water was the drink of the poor (I recall it in Oliver Twist. This is contrasted with the "extremely well-advantaged".– Colin FineCommented Apr 29, 2014 at 20:10
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The phrase occurs 11 times in Oliver Twist: one is the dying midwife, three are Fagin's gang, and the rest are all Mr Bumble.– Colin FineCommented Apr 29, 2014 at 22:22
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2 Answers
It helps if you read the before and after.
Mallory, having met more than his share of gin-and-water reporters, hacks pursuing wide-eyed articles on the great Leviathan[...]
In short: Hack reporters. It is considered a sin amongst the gin aficionados to mix gin and water.
answered Apr 29, 2014 at 20:38
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Thank you, that makes sense. Turns out I did not know the proper meaning of hack-journalist (I'm German), but Wikipedia explains it nicely: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hack_writer Commented Apr 30, 2014 at 15:37
This is inference, from the words as well as the excerpt, as I could not find a source to support this directly.
Gin = Clear, Water = Clear
Someone who offers you one thing and surreptitiously provides another for their own benefit.
