American slang

Cranking

Jenny's Place

dive

yep, dive. i've had the most fun at hole-in-the-wall dives.

now be careful, it may be a term that only us old'uns use lol.

My first thought was "dive" too; but I'm not sure, there is a bit of negative connotation about the word. I would think "sleazy" if I heard that term, but not of "fun or cheerful".

There's also "honky tonk" or "beer joint" which are used in certain parts of the US. Also the word "tavern" is often used here to mean a cheap bar (unless you're talking about Tavern on the Green in NYC). "Neighborhood bar" or "corner bar" or "workingman's bar" to me generally means a cheap, loud, but friendly bar. Or you could give it a name like "Frank's Bar & Grille", and that would probably get the point across.

Around here we'd refer to it as a "redneck bar" but "dive" works too. I wouldn't use the term but I'd recognize it.

Aww come on Maryn, you may have received a bonus of a chunk of tobacco spit or something.

Here in the south, I'd call it a honky tonk.

Maryn--toooooo funny! (And I liked the pi pumpkin too)

A dive from me. Or for me.

Maryn, shame on you for wasting a perfectly good, half-drunk beer. I'm sure the waitress would have swabbed off the rim if you'd just asked. With the same sponge she used to swab clean the toilet seat.

(OK, just grossed myself out, sorry).

In my neck of the woods, it would be a honky tonk.

Perhaps said honky tonk might be full of East Texans who are waiting to go on a Yee-Hawd.



Brady

LOL, Brady. I said Honky Tonk too, and I'm in central Texas.


Yee Haw.

...and from where I sit in the cold northeast, if someone asked me for a definition of honky-tonk, I'd answer "A dive found only in Texas." (Or possibly Oklahoma)..

P.H.Delarran said:

Aww come on Maryn, you may have received a bonus of a chunk of tobacco spit or something.

Click to expand...

No offense, Delarran, but you haven't known a lot of rednecks if you think they'd spit tobacco in a perfectly good beer. I mean, that's why God invented plastic cups, after all! [insert appropriate smiley doohickey here]

And yeah--depending on where the story is set, go with dive or honky-tonk.

HN

How about calling it a "Watering Hole", "Sleaze Pit", "Gin Mill", "Pickup Joint" or the really old and perhaps too obscure New England slang term a "Bucket of Blood?"

Here in New England, a dive bar is exactly what you would call it. It is the place to go to just hang out, listen to local bands, lots of cigarette smoke, badly decorated, in need of repair and the ladies room is dirty. 'ah the fun lol

I'd probably call it a juke joint.

All the above plus Barrelhouse or Joint.

In my grandmom's day (and in the area she grew up in) they called it a beer garden.