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booze can
DCHP-2 (Nov 2012)
Spelling variants:booze-can
n. — slang, Urban culture, Food & Drink
an illegal bar, especially one operating in a private home.
Type: 3. Semantic Change — The term booze can appears to have come into use in written Canadian English in the 1970s (see 1979 quotation). The term appears to be used almost exclusively in Canada (see Chart 1). Within Canada, the term seems to be most prevalent in Central Canada, particularly Ontario (see Chart 2). The semantic transfer from an item (here a beverage container) to the establishment is common.
See also COD-2, s.v. "booze can", which is marked "Cdn".
See also COD-2, s.v. "booze can", which is marked "Cdn".
Quotations
1979
The meter's running, both radios are on, the traffic on Spadina is its usual weaving self and Jude's saying something about there being a good booze-can near where the women live. I know all the good booze cans in the city, says the woman in the front seat. But we're all off booze. Or trying.
1995
He steadfastly defends suggestions he's running an illegal booze can, saying that he complies with the provisions of the Liquor Licence Act by not selling alcohol after 1 a.m.
2005
Illegal "booze cans" operating covertly in some private Saskatoon homes have attracted the attention of police, the province and residents who want to reclaim their neighbourhoods.
2008
[...] the East End Hells Angels set up a clubhouse in Kelowna as a "summer house," which was nothing more than an illegal booze can where members and their friends could "party" [...]
References
- COD-2
Images
Chart 1: Internet Domain Search, 12 Nov. 2013
