Weird Language use question (Attn: Satrix)

[Philondra]

I specifically asked for Sat's input because I know that she works at one of these locations, but I welcome input from anyone of any nationality.

What do you call a store that sells bottled/canned alchohol to customers for consumption at home rather than on the premesis?

I'm only asking because I'm pretty sure that I use a regional variation that is largely unintelligible to people who don't share the same dialect.

I refer to the above store as a "package store", and am wondering if that's really a regional dialect term or if it's comprehensible to others.

[Mews]

Bottle shop or Bottle-O.

[Cartollomew]

Bottle shop or Bottle-O.

Not sure if that's a soley Australian thing, but those terms are definitely Oz wide.

Surely "liquor store" conveys the right idea? It's a place you buy the liquor, but don't consume it there.

Oh, Wikipedia tells us this:

"In the UK and Ireland the corresponding term is Off-licence, which may refer to a shop selling mostly alcohol, or to part of larger shop."
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquor_store)
I've read the term "off-licence" a number times in some UK literature.

I've never heard the term "package store" before - that's hella euphemistic.

[Dropdeadqt]

Yeah, Bottle-O is the typically used conversation word.

The "upper class" call it a Liquor Shop.

Written word is I guess Bottle Shop.

My Dad has been calling it The Barn because the place he shops is called "Liquor Barn".

[Philondra]

It's my understanding that we use the term "package store" because of local laws that require (or at least required; I have no idea what the laws are like there anymore) any purchases of liquor at such establishments to be to placed in an opaque paper bag before being removed from the premesis. But even most other American-born people don't know what I mean, and assume that I am referring to a shipping company or something.

Now that I think about it, I wonder if that's where the image of a homeless drunk drinking a fifth of whatever out of a brown paper bag comes from?

I distinctly remember there was an establishment called "Carol's Package Store" along the main street of my little town, pretty much directly across from my elementary (oops, "primary") school. I *may* in fact even have a digital photograph somewhere on my computer.

I'll probably attempt to find it later tonight as a means of procrastinating.

[Lellybaby]

Bottle shop or Bottle-O.

Swill supplier

[Cartollomew]

The English speaking world seems to have an uneasy relationship with alcohol, which I guess is why we legislate euphemism into the regulations which govern its sale. Weird. (in parts of the US it would appear to be easier to obtain firearms than liquor, but I guess I can tentatively support anything that doesn't involve the ready delivery of both at the same time)

Re: Liquor Barn
I've actually seen the term used by a few different liquor stores here in WA. Pretty sure they aren't all from the same chain/company/franchise either.

Wonder where that little term comes from. It's only a hop, skip and jump away from becoming the "Liquor Zoo".

[Mews]

Bottle shop or Bottle-O.

Swill supplier

Booze hole.

Bottle shop and bottle-O are used in NZ too.

[Karjalan]

Never ever.... ever heard the term bottle-o....

Bottle-shop/store
Liquor-shop/store
Piss house

[Cartollomew]

Piss house

See, there's ambiguity there, cuz that to me reads "pub" as well.

[Grouse]

Interesting fact:
The text of the Western Australian Liquor Control Act 1988 does not contain the word "Alcohol". Three isolated references to "alcohol occur in the definition of "Low Alcohol Liquor" and "Wine".

Semi-related:
Grouse's Grandpa was a Magistrate on the Liquor Licencing Court and was responsible for the act being drafted. GG, Grandpa, GG.

Takius / Planning Related:
Local Governments in Perth and the Eastern States are responsible for approving the de-facto liquor licence for small business premises such as kareoke bars. As if Local Government didn't already have enough pressure to approve things under delegated authority.

[Cartollomew]

Takius / Planning Related:
Local Governments in Perth and the Eastern States are responsible for approving the de-facto liquor licence for small business premises such as kareoke bars. As if Local Government didn't already have enough pressure to approve things under delegated authority.

For the most part it's a rubber stamping process, surely?

As long as the candidate has got the paperwork in order and ahead of time, there're few good reasons not to approve - I've always assumed the process exists solely to scare off people who can't be bothered reading the fine print.

[Vampirial]

Most people have already said all the ones our customers use. Bottle - O or bottleshop are probably the most common for where I work. I've also had our store referred to as the adults toystore on heaps of occassions, or variations of that theme. Associations are also made with the words piss, grog and booze, eg piss shop, pisshouse etc. Probably a little more slang but a lot of our customers are regulars whom we see at least 4 times a week.

[dyer]

Most folks refer to them as package stores here in Ct. Pretty sure anywhere North of here as well , maybe a New England thing.

[Takius]

Takius / Planning Related:
Local Governments in Perth and the Eastern States are responsible for approving the de-facto liquor licence for small business premises such as kareoke bars. As if Local Government didn't already have enough pressure to approve things under delegated authority.

For the most part it's a rubber stamping process, surely?

As long as the candidate has got the paperwork in order and ahead of time, there're few good reasons not to approve - I've always assumed the process exists solely to scare off people who can't be bothered reading the fine print.

@ phil : Bottle-O is the most widely used slag term, but only said out loud and never written. Bottle shop is the most widely used written term.

@ grouse: Clause 52.27 Victorian Planning Scheme. BAM! http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/PlanningSchem ... /52_27.pdf

@ cart: Look at the above link, specifically whats written under the title Decision Guidelines.

@ any interested parties: I believe your term package store would have evolved as a result of prohibition laws. When they were relaxed to only prohibit the drinking of alcohol in public the police had a big problem in enforcing the law, because they were obligated to arrest anyone who had either alcohol on them in a public place as long as it was on public display (ie carrying a goon sack). Because of the impracticality of the law a happy medium of semi-common sense was reached over time, as long as the police didn't see the alcohol they didn't arrest the offered. Thus the rise in popularity of selling alcohol in brown paper bags in America.