hedge alehouse en · NOUN
Etymology
From hedge (“third-rate”) + alehouse (“inn, tavern”). Compare hedge priest, hedge whore.
Meanings
-
(historical) An inferior inn or tavern.
HEDGE ALEHOUSE, a ſmall obſcure alehouſe.
[1785, Francis Grose, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue:‘Where is your warrant, if you come to that?’ said I. ‘My papers! A likely thing that I would show my papers on the ipse dixit of an unknown fellow in a hedge alehouse!’
1897, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Adventure of the Attorney’s Clerk”, in St. Ives:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| hedge alehouses | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Relateds
Synonyms
alehouse · groggery · saloon · tavern · gin joint · bousing ken · pot-house · rummery · boozer · local · pub · watering hole · drinker · boozing ken · gargle-factory · drinkery · nineteenth hole · public house