h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Last year, while visiting England for the first time, I was struck by the fact that most pub names
are two different things. They seem to always be "The Something and The Something Else".
In America pubs (or bars) are ususally named after a person, known or unknown. "Bob's" is
an example. A person's name usually leads one to believe that the person has something to
do with the establishment. But if the name is "The Something and The Something Else", what
are those two things? Mascots? I went into a pub in Shrewsbury called "The Cow and Pie".
Did the cow make the pie, or is the cow in the pie?

I'm not sure I'd want to get a drink from a pub named after a cow pie...

I think it's just another one of those strange British habbits that Americans refer to as QUAINT.

Most have a historical significance. Coach & Horses obvious example. Almost an ad really.

So, tell me, who is Cheer? and why did he let the TV cameras into his Boston bar?

Okay, I was not totally right. I went back through my photos and found that the pub was not "The Cow and Pie", but actually "The Dun Cow". I'm not sure where I got "The Cow and Pie", but I don't know what the real name means either.
Also, I realize that all bars in America aren't named after people, but "Cheers" makes sense as the name of a bar because that's what you say when you make a toast...with the alcohol that you've bought in the bar.
Don't get me wrong...I'm mot knocking English pub names. I think that they are oftem more interesting than their American counterparts.

Well in Australia it seems that each town has similar named pubs. They range from 'The Sovereign', 'The Queen's Hotel', 'The Shamrock', 'The Republican', 'The Great Australian'

Hey, I was only joking! - Its the only Bar I could think of!

Dun is a colour isn't it? Brownish. So brown cow. That boring, I'm afraid.

Whilst in a pub, the relative meaning of names is directly linked to the amount of alcohol consumed. It the Olde English sense of humour, nobody cares so long as its open. Most of us have trouble remembering our own names after a "few" drinks let alone were we have just been!

Y'know I never really noticed till I went to Leamington Spa, cos most of the pub's round my way are just "The Something". (The Halfway House, The Upper George, The PortmanandPickles).
I like it when really boring name's get changed cos everybody calls them something else...
In Halifax everyone (wel in my Dad's day...) called the Golden Lion the "Brass Cat". Well it's now called the Brass Cat, and I can't wait till it gets turned into the Brass T**t (small fish that brass cats liek to eat).

But what about the current run of Happy Hours in these pubs. How can you have a happy hour that goes from 6 to 8:30? I have even seen one place that said 'Happy Hour 11 till 11'? How on earth does that work? Of course, if you spent that entire 'hour' in the place, drinking, time would become just a tiny problem that could be looked at tomorrow.

I remember a pub in Newcastle that I think was called the Rosie. Anyway, it had loads of strange artefacts all over the walls, ceiling and just about everywhere else. It had a backward clock. But the most interesting was the collection of false heads above the bar. A few pints later I noticed one of these heads moved and it scared me witless! Excellent place.

One reason for pubs being something and something, is so the publican can have a laugh when he tells the signwriter to put more space between the pig and and and and and whistle. From richard 45311

In the Midlands in England there's a pub called The Crooked House - and it is!! Even getting out of the car on the way in before drinking you can see that all the walls are crooked, and once you get inside the place, you feel like you've had too much to drink before you get to the bar! The lights don't hang straight down from the ceiling, all the pictures on some of the walls hang away from the wall, the chairs and tables have to stay in their own spot because the legs are cut so that the chair seats and table tops are horizontal, and (spookiest of all) there is a ramp running along the longest wall of the pub and when you put a pool ball on it (one is always handy for disbelieving customers such as myself) it runs uphill!! I loved that pub - whenever I stumbled on the way I said it was the floor, not me and no-one would dispute it!

whereabouts?

There is a disturbing trend in Australia to set up Pubs with themes like "Genuine Old English Pub atmosphere" or "Genuine Irish Pub atmosphere". All it does is attract yuppies and put up the price of the beer. It is getting to the stage where i drink at home because i prefer a "Genuine Lonely Old Drunk atmosphere"

You frogot "The Commercial", "The Railway" and "The Esplanade"

Ah true, thanks for pointing that out.

Ah, there is nothing like sitting at home, in front of the idiot box, and drinking heaps of piss (alcohol for the uneducated). This usually happens during cricket season, as well as the football season (both AFL and Rugby (League and Union))