barrelhouse
nounEtymology From barrel + house. Originally used to refer specifically to a bar that served whiskey directly from the barrel.
1
A rough-and-tumble drinking establishment.
- It’s beautiful, but never naïvely so; the pastoral moments were offset by barrelhouse intrusions.2008 January 14, Ben Ratliff, “Jazz Showcase Fever Propels a Mini Marathon”, in New York Times:
2
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music A loud, percussive type of blues piano suitable for noisy bars or taverns.
- A barrelhouse blues was being shouted over the stamping of feet on a wooden floor. Miss Grace, the good-time woman, had her usual Saturday-night customers.1969, Maya Angelou, chapter 18, in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, New York: Bantam, published 1971, page 111:
- Synonyms
- juke, juke joint
- Related terms
- honky-tonk, roadhouse