newyork.localmean.com/quarter-water
Quarter water
KWOR-ter WAW-ter
Local meaning
A small, inexpensive, brightly colored sweet drink sold in plastic barrel-shaped bottles and remembered as a neighborhood-store childhood staple.
The name comes from the low price many children once paid, not from the drink being water or containing one quarter of something. Prices changed, but quarter water remained the cultural nickname. The drink appears in memories of bodegas, corner stores, school days, parks, and summer streets.
Example in context
- “We grabbed chips and a quarter water from the corner store.”
How it is used
Widely remembered in New York and other northeastern urban communities; not exclusive to one borough or generation.
nostalgic, informal, neighborhood-specific
bodegas, childhood memories, summer, corner-store snacks
Widely remembered in New York and other northeastern urban communities; not exclusive to one borough or generation.
The nickname reflects a historical price and may not match the current cost. It is a sugary drink, not ordinary drinking water.
Spelling and scope
Widely remembered in New York and other northeastern urban communities; not exclusive to one borough or generation.
- Search forms
quarter water meaning NYCquarter water drink New Yorkquarter waters juice
LocalMean keeps common search spellings discoverable without claiming that every borough, community, or generation uses one written form.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called quarter water?
Many stores once sold the small drink for about twenty-five cents, and the price became the lasting nickname.
Is quarter water actually water?
No. It is a sweet flavored beverage, often sold in a small plastic barrel-shaped container.
Read next
All words →Evidence and further reading
These sources support the regional association, dictionary sense, or broader spread. The entry remains open to correction from New York speakers and qualified reviewers.
- Geographic Variation in Slang SemanticsarXiv
Research showing that slang meanings and associations vary by geography and community.
- The Life Cycle of Internet SlangarXiv
Research on how slang spreads, changes, and becomes less locally exclusive online.