Can "ginger" be used as an adjective with the same sense as "gingerly"?

Question

I have two versions of a sentence in mind:

1. She found the water by the bed and took a sip, gingerly.
2. She found the water by the bed and took a ginger sip.

The first would be correct in sense, but not (to me) a terribly interesting sentence in construction. The second sounds (to me) better, but the etymology doesn't seem to support it. "Gingerly" seems to have an origin unrelated to that of "ginger," and I cannot find examples of the word "ginger" used in this way. That said, maybe I just don't know where to look.

So I am interested to know: Would this usage make sense to readers? Are there perhaps examples of this usage that I've missed? Or would it be coloring outside the lines, so to speak?

Many thanks.

Answer 1

The Oxford English Dictionary lists “ginger” as a synonymous backformation of “gingerly” (and unrelated to the plant/color “ginger”), with examples dating back as far as 1600. Of the modern examples it says “chiefly English regional and North American”.

Being American, I agree that it sounds natural in some cases:

  I was very ginger with her. I picked her up very lightly, put her down very gently. — Unscripted, 2003

But in your example I think it’s liable to be confusing, because “ginger sip” makes me think of ginger tea or ginger ale or some other drink that has “ginger” in its name (and/or ingredients).

Because it’s dialectical, I would suggest not using it (unless it’s part of your dialect, in which case conversationally it’s probably fine but not elsewhere like in international or formal writing).