whiskey tenor

whiskey tenor

1. slang A husky or guttural voice in the tenor range, as is or could be the result of tobacco, alcohol, or drug abuse. The old man stood up and started singing a beautiful song in a haunting whiskey tenor. He had such a clear, pure voice when he was a young man, but it degraded into a croaky whiskey tenor after so many years of substance abuse.
2. slang Someone who speaks or sings with such a voice. A whiskey tenor like him wouldn't normally make it so far in the competition, but something about his performance has captivated audiences.
See also: whiskey
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

whiskey tenor

n. a strained tenor. Four whiskey tenors do not a barbershop quartet make.
See also: whiskey
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • whiskey voice
  • growl out
  • growl
  • growl at
  • growl at (someone or something)
  • roar away
  • groggery
  • can't hold (one's) drink
  • liquor
  • roar at
References in periodicals archive
Still another account says that "Slight of build, she cultivated a squeaky voice to hide her feminine tones, a voice that in later years passed for whiskey tenor.''
The life of One-Eyed Charley