Is the pub that a person describes as "the local" just the nearest pub, or is it the nearest pub they like?
dpaterso
Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels
Staff member
Super Moderator
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2005
- Messages
- 18,806
- Reaction score
- 4,598
- Location
- Caledonia
- Website
- derekpaterson.net
Interesting question... I haven't actually heard anyone use that phrase in years. It may also be their preferred pub, a personal choice of venue regardless of location, rather than simply the nearest.
-Derek
-Derek
As long as it's, say, within walking distance of your house, your favourite pub is 'the local', even if there are others nearer.
It's supposed to mean their local pub, but my mother's 'local' was not the nearest pub. She just preferred the Chieftain (since burned down *sadface*), even though she lived nearer to the Pear Tree. My uncle's local is the Ludwick Arms, even though he lives nearer to the Red Lion. Etc.
No idea if that helps or not, but that's how it was for my family when I was growing up in England, and it's still the same for my uncles.
No idea if that helps or not, but that's how it was for my family when I was growing up in England, and it's still the same for my uncles.
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2008
- Messages
- 1,199
- Reaction score
- 335
I think It was a personal thing. "The local" was the pub that was the nearest one you liked, and would pop in for a quick drink frequently, among people you know."A local " to an outsider, is a pub full of people who know one-another ,and know you are not one of them.
In country areas, it's almost certainly going to be the same thing, and you might use it even if you don't drink much. Where I live, our local would mean the pub in the village, and I'd probably use the expression (probably more an English expression than a Scottish one) even though I don't go there much.
When I lived in York, though, my local was actually halfway across the city. I used to sink quite a few pints there.
Thanks people; I appreciate the responses.
I'm writing about this program/social networking Web site Use Your Local, that allows people to have parcels delivered to their local participating pub.
It's actually working really well for a number of people, and for a number of pubs.
I'm writing about this program/social networking Web site Use Your Local, that allows people to have parcels delivered to their local participating pub.
It's actually working really well for a number of people, and for a number of pubs.
I'm curious -- what's in it for the pubs? Aside from their usual customers now picking up parcels from them.
I've actually written a couple of owners to ask.
People who ordinarily don't go to pubs at all are--and they're seeing people they know, and realizing that there are various sorts of social/community services that use /meet at the pub.
And there's the "might as well have drink--oh, look, there's Bob or Rachel" or whomever. So there's some added business.
And there's the fact that a lot of the owners and the staff live in the area. This is their community, and it benefits them too, since they needn't worry about their parcels being stolen.
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2009
- Messages
- 48,116
- Reaction score
- 12,938
I've started drinking in my local post office. Too many people picking up parcels in my local pub.