GREASY SPOON Definition & Meaning

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greasy spoon

noun

Slang.

a cheap and rather unsanitary restaurant.

greasy spoon

noun

slang.
a small, cheap, and often unsanitary restaurant, usually specializing in fried foods

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of greasy spoon¹

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

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Idioms and Phrases

A cheap restaurant, especially one serving short-order fried foods. For example, College students short of cash tend to eat a lot in that greasy spoon . This expression also implies that the restaurant is not very clean. [c. 1900]

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

She maintains an eclectic list of favorite L.A. eateries, from greasy spoons to elevated Italian and American spots.

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In a greasy spoon just off the New Jersey Turnpike, two men sit down for coffee.

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Casual diners ordered meatloaf and burgers at the local greasy spoon.

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The greasy spoon’s sandwiches are unexpectedly delicious, but as a workplace, it’s not healthy; in fact its toxicity is operatic in scope.

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Do you prefer the convenience of interstate fast food or the authenticity of a local greasy spoon?

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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