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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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pub
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(short for public house)
The main social gathering place in Britain, the equivalent of a bar or café in other countries. Pubs acquired their distinctive character in the 19C and many in the larger cities have gloriously ornate Victorian façades. Until fairly recently they sold little other than alcohol and in some areas were used exclusively by men, but now food and a family atmosphere have become more normal. Many pubs still have one area called the 'public bar' and others with names such as 'saloon bar' or 'lounge bar', a survival from times when there were class distinctions between drinkers. Of the games traditionally played, *darts and *bar billiards are now the most popular.
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Foreigners used to be amazed to find that the licensing laws forced pubs to close for two or three hours in the middle of the day. New regulations in 1988 allowed each pub in England and Wales to stay open for any hours it may choose between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. on weekdays (12–3 and 7–10.30 on Sundays, with minor variations on these times in Scotland and Northern Ireland). Early in the new century legislation is proposed to abolish any absolute restrictions on hours.
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Pubs in the old days were known by the signs hanging outside them and so their names reflect the images used (pub signs are a lively tradition in popular art). Typical is the King's Head, but national figures such as Lord Nelson were also pressed into service. One of the most common pub names used to be the Marquess of Granby, that of a famously bald 18C general who was an easy subject for the sign-painters. Other names tend to be country pursuits (the Hare and Hounds) or symbols from legend and heraldry (the Golden Fleece, the White Cross, the Red Lion).
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