pub names

Many of the pub names in Britain reveal the history of the place. Unfortunately twenty something marketing types in London are rebranding them to 'The Newt and Cucumber' etc

The Red Lion
The Royal Oak
The Kings Head
The Dog and Duck
The White Hart
The Nag’s Head
The Black Bull
The Plough
The Greyhound
The Rose and Crown

Marketing Pub Names
Newt and Cucumber
Frog and Parrot
The Hungry Horse

Hopefully other noders will add other pubs and definitions. See this site for others http://www.midlandspubs.co.uk/pubsigns

Some popular English pub names are corruptions of much older inn and tavern names. In some cases the truth of this is easy to infer, since a renamed pub will sometimes stand on or near the site of a much earlier tavern, the name of which was remarkably similar. Two examples:

Bag o' Nails, while no longer extremely widespread, is nevertheless a fairly well-known pub name. It is a corruption of 'Bacchanal', which Webster 1913 defines as 'Engaged in drunken revels; drunken and riotous or noisy'.

George and Cannon is also a less widespread name now than it once was. This name is a corruption of George Canning, who was a 19th century British Prime Minister.

There are also some far more uncertain examples, one of which at least is very popular, but almost certainly untrue:

Goat and Compasses is often claimed to be a corruption of 'God encompass us', (or sometimes 'God encompasses', from the phrase, "And God Encompasses Us All"). However, there is no evidence for this claim, and it is now regarded as almost certainly false. Compasses are a recurring motif in pub names and signs, and are probably derived from Masonic symbolism. I don't even want to speculate where the goat might fit in.

• Ned's
• Hooters
• T.G.I. Fridays

Good pubs are few and far between in the US, unless you are in a Big City(tm). *sniff*

One thing though: it's perfectly okay to go hang out and watch sports at a bar by yourself here, which I'm told is not done in Europe.

Regal Pubs
E.g. The Queen Vic
Abbreviation of The Queen Victoria and probably the most famous pub in Britain as it features in Eastenders. Naming pubs after monarchs is common and you will find many other royals honoured with pub names.

Arms Pubs
E.g. Queen's Arms
Note the Arms referred to are the coat of arms not limbs.

& Pubs
E.g. Horse & Hounds
A pub probably once favoured by fox hunters. These pubs names are usually related a local activity or common trade.

Ye Olde Pubs
E.g. Ye Olde Highwayman
Generally not at all old and just named Ye Olde so they will appeal to American and Japanese tourists who have read about British pub names in a guide book or this node