Definition of the word plonk

The word "plonk" is a slang term originating from the UK in the late 1960s, used to describe cheap and low-quality wine. Its exact etymology is uncertain, but there are a few theories as to how it came into existence. One popular explanation attributes the origin of "plonk" to the Cockney dialect of East London, where the phrase "plonk it 'ere" was used to command someone to put a bottle on the table. This interpretation suggests that "plonk" was coined as a way to imitate Cockney speech, with the added implication that the wine was cheap and unremarkable. Another theory suggests that "plonk" is a contraction of the French phrase "vin de plonge," which translates to "dive wine" in English. This interpretation reflects the belief that the wine in question was produced using grapes salvaged from impressively deep harvests, thereby imbuing it with an undesirable hint of grittiness and roughness. Regardless of its origins, "plonk" has become deeply ingrained in English colloquial parlance, used to describe not just cheap wines but also any sub-par or derivative product of questionable quality in the UK and beyond.