Fromrevenue +-er, reflecting the U.S. Treasury Department's former Bureau of Internal Revenue (a predecessor of theIRS andATF), because the administrative mechanism for enforcingProhibition originated inexcise tax administration; Wikipedia gives details atBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives § History.
revenuer (pluralrevenuers)
- (US, regional, now historical) A government official who enforces laws prohibiting the illegaldistillation of alcohol.[from 19th c.]
- Antonyms:smuggler;bootlegger,moonshiner,shiner,rum-runner
- Hypernym:exciseman
1970,Donald Harington,Lightning Bug:‘Mister, if yo're anotherrevenuer, I kin tell ye y'aint gonna leave this valley alive.’
2020 April 28, Kimberly Altamirano, “CPAPs, Hickeys and Biscuits” (0:20:03 from the start), in Lynda Tarryk, director,The Conners, season 2, episode19 (television), spoken byDan Conner (John Goodman), United States of America: Mohawk Productions / Sara + Tom, viaABC:I don’t know, but I should start by gettin’ me a rifle: we got thereveneurs a-comin’.
- This term is especially associated with the efforts of the U.S. government to prevent illegal production and distribution of alcohol during the period ofProhibition in the U.S.
