What Do You Call the Corner Store?(atlasobscura.com)
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What Do You Call the Corner Store?
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-do-you-call-the-corner-store
62 comments
Milk Bar is a word from NZ of the '50s, we don't use "superette" either - they've always been "dairys".
Prior to the mid-70s we had few if any supermarkets - everyone had a local dairy (general store) and a local butcher, as well as daily milk deliveries to the house. These days our cities are full of corner stores converted into cheap flats, there are none left within walking distance from here, but 2-3 that I regularly visit.
Prior to the mid-70s we had few if any supermarkets - everyone had a local dairy (general store) and a local butcher, as well as daily milk deliveries to the house. These days our cities are full of corner stores converted into cheap flats, there are none left within walking distance from here, but 2-3 that I regularly visit.
Aussie with a kiwi wife here. She says they only ever called it a Dairy
At least in semi-rural NSW I've only ever used "corner shop" or these days it's generally a "servo" but never a "milk bar"
Must be a Melbourne or Adelaide thing those guys are weird
At least in semi-rural NSW I've only ever used "corner shop" or these days it's generally a "servo" but never a "milk bar"
Must be a Melbourne or Adelaide thing those guys are weird
I haven't heard that term for a while. Back in my home town in NZ we had 3 dairies. The original dairy which would have been around since the 50s was known as the "Milk Bar".
Same here. I think once again we've been lumped in with the Australians.
Aussie here. Definitely always called them milk bars.
Most of them have closed though, given that more people have cars and are willing to drive a bit further to save a dollar on their loaf of bread at the supermarket.
Most of them have closed though, given that more people have cars and are willing to drive a bit further to save a dollar on their loaf of bread at the supermarket.
Yeah, still called them milko's in the 80s, even though milk was delivered to your door. By the 90s both the milk runs and the milko's were gone.
The only ones i remember surviving were also takeaways. Which now that i think about it, is probably also a colloquialism.
The only ones i remember surviving were also takeaways. Which now that i think about it, is probably also a colloquialism.
Yep, only ever called them dairies, and in NZ every residential neighbourhood in towns big and small has one. It's not just a big city thing as the artical suggests it may be for other nations.
Milk bar is an older term, maybe 50's and 60's. We only ever call these places "The Shop" - not very romantic.
Australian.
Australian.
Deli in SA
I'm old and French and used to live in Paris, so I call it "the corner Arab" which is a bit dated because such shops are no longer 100% owned+operated by Northern Africans.
Mine still is though. I asked them if they found the moniker racist, they laughed "non, it's true".
I’ve always referred to them as the alimentaire. At least that is what’s written on the canvas.
In my experience, the only people who get offended at good-natured "political incorrectness" are people who have a social or political agenda that political correctness is part of.
...as well as those who are inured to it and can’t be bothered raising the issue so just go along.
I think it's actually quite common for the first generation to go along with the joke or casual racism or whatever, because an important part of fitting in is to not rock the boat, so to speak.
You can't start making a fuss until your foothold in society is firm enough that you can afford to do so.
And, of course, plenty of people also simply don't care or find it offensive.
You can't start making a fuss until your foothold in society is firm enough that you can afford to do so.
And, of course, plenty of people also simply don't care or find it offensive.
The politically incorrect thing was already a part of a "social or political agenda". That a person can't or won't object because it would be too radical or controversial or, like, a total buzz kill, dude, raises questions about what the value of the epithet is to the people trying to protect it.
There's a very fine line between good-natured stereotypes and genuine bigotry; stereotypes are the first step on the path to dehumanisation.
That's so true. Once I heard "Jocks are dumb" and was outraged at the dehumanization going on. Like, excuse me, they are people too.
> In Toronto and its many smaller surrounding cities, the convenience store is known as a variety store.
glances at CN Tower We call it a what? I mean, I've probably heard that term, but they're convenience stores.
glances at CN Tower We call it a what? I mean, I've probably heard that term, but they're convenience stores.
I was slightly confused when I saw "packie", thinking it might be a misspelling. In the North of England in the 80s, we used to call the corner store "the Paki shop", due to the large number of them owned by members of the Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi community. As a child, I followed my parents' example in this regard, and it wasn't until some years later that I found out how racist and loaded the term 'Paki' is. I was a little shocked that my family had been so casual in their use of the term.
These shops are still very commonly called "Pakis" in Spain (at least, in the cities where I have spent time), even by young people.
Edit to add: Reading further down, there are some Americans saying that they called them packies because they "pack liquor". This isn't the case in Spain, and I'd be skeptical that it's the case there either.
Edit to add: Reading further down, there are some Americans saying that they called them packies because they "pack liquor". This isn't the case in Spain, and I'd be skeptical that it's the case there either.
When I lived in the southeastern US, these places typically also had gas pumps.
So we usually called them "gas stations," even if they didn't actually sell fuel.
So we usually called them "gas stations," even if they didn't actually sell fuel.
My favourite has to be Quebec's "depanneur", or "dep" for short. It's one of those Francophone words that is also pervasive in Montreal english... like "terrace" for patio.
In Berlin it's mostly "späti" - short for "spätkauf" or "late purchases". There's a big culture around them.
I loved the spätis when I visited. Being able to buy beer at 3am is definitely convenient.
Man I wish we had that in Virginia.
Reminds me of a time in Eastern Europe where my ESL cousin asks me: "What is the place called where two walls meet?"
me: "The corner?"
Cousin: "Yes, the corner. We are going to the corner bar".
I'm like... close enough.
me: "The corner?"
Cousin: "Yes, the corner. We are going to the corner bar".
I'm like... close enough.
If someone said we're going to the corner bar I'd not feel like that was a weird thing to say in the least.
Well, apart from the fact that I don't drink.
Well, apart from the fact that I don't drink.
If you doing drink you can skip that stage and go straight to the fighting.
What did he mean? Just a bar at the corner? What would be the idiomatic equivalent?
Yes, just a bar at the corner, or probably the neighbourhood bar.
Like saying the "Corner store", except nobody really says "Corner bar".
Like saying the "Corner store", except nobody really says "Corner bar".
I’ve adopted the Brit way and call the corner bar the boozer. Sometimes I’ll call it the local
in Denmark, to add to the list, it's called a Kiosk although originally the focus is very much on tobacco and magazine sales https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiosk
Life hack: The Kiosks with a small smoking lounge and gambling section always have a very good beer selection!
Calling it a party store is common in the suburbs of Detroit. In the city itself it is almost unanimously just called a liquor store. If it sells gas then you just call it a gas station.
'Corner shop' and 'offy' are mentioned for UK/London, I'd add 'convenience' as a noun, and in semi-contrast to TFA's opener about being laughed out of the room for calling it a 'convenience store/shop'.
Also 'local convenience'/'local shop' (more so outside of cities where it's more truly a local shop, not just the nearest 'food & wine' convenience) - but never just 'the local', that is 100% a pub.
Also 'local convenience'/'local shop' (more so outside of cities where it's more truly a local shop, not just the nearest 'food & wine' convenience) - but never just 'the local', that is 100% a pub.
I have never heard anyone in London call it a 'convenience'. Only American-English speaking transplants sometimes call it a convenience store.
What part of London are you living in where people call it a convenience? I mostly hear corner shop or offie.
What part of London are you living in where people call it a convenience? I mostly hear corner shop or offie.
> Boston in particular and New England as a whole has a wide array of words referring to the corner store. The most interesting is spa
And of course "spa" is pronounced "spar".
And of course "spa" is pronounced "spar".
Bostonian born & raised, never heard spa. Feels like an obscure thing WGBH wrote about, and looking at the article, appears it's mostly historical now.
We do call our liquor stores "packies," though, which comes from package store. :)
We do call our liquor stores "packies," though, which comes from package store. :)
Agreed, I've spent my whole life in the Boston area and never heard it called a spa. But water fountains are "bubblas" and those things you put on your ice cream are "jimmies".
But now that I think about it, I grew up in a town that, at least forty years ago was rural. The local shop was simply referred to as, "Clyde's" after the man who owned it.
But now that I think about it, I grew up in a town that, at least forty years ago was rural. The local shop was simply referred to as, "Clyde's" after the man who owned it.
In the UK, and likely other places, there is actually a chain called Spar.
Perhaps they used to be in that area too, and the name stuck even if the business did not?
Perhaps they used to be in that area too, and the name stuck even if the business did not?
there is a spar chain in Denmark, https://spar.dk/ spar in Danish means "Save", generally used in regards to money. I suppose it is related to the English spare.
I've never heard a corner store called a Deli in NYC unless it sold cold cuts. And Bodega is used more for the independently run stores. NYC has a lot of Duane Reade's / CVS's and they're generally called by name instead of generic corner stores.
In Sicily that would be "putìa" (same Latin origin as bodega), but I've heard them being called differently in other parts of Italy, specifically in Rome "bangladino" is widely used (because most store owners are from Bangladesh)
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A "packie" is a package store, which is a liquor store. A corner store is only a "packie" if it sold liquor.
Source: Native Bostonian
Source: Native Bostonian
I called any liquor store "packie." A corner store was called by it's name.
Semi-rural/now suburban northeast Connecticut
Semi-rural/now suburban northeast Connecticut
Here in California, I usually call it a liquor store, even if it doesn't sell liquor.
What's funny is (in the Bay Area) I never go to those little liquor stores, when every gas station and costco and safeway ALSO sells liquor, with the same hours, at better prices.
Certainly in many underserved neighborhoods, those liquor stores are more convenient, but there are also plenty of places where these run-down looking shops seem to thrive despite proximity to more affordable options with better selection, which I find strange.
Certainly in many underserved neighborhoods, those liquor stores are more convenient, but there are also plenty of places where these run-down looking shops seem to thrive despite proximity to more affordable options with better selection, which I find strange.
"Curb Market" anyone?
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Having lived here and there in the US, I've called and heard them called thus:
* 7-11 (used as a generic)
* party store
* ice house
* bodega
* the corner store
* convenience store
* 7-11 (used as a generic)
* party store
* ice house
* bodega
* the corner store
* convenience store
Growing up in suburbs it was 7 by god Eleven, or 7 by god for short. These were not on the corner though, they were a car ride away to an arterial road. Sometimes we went to Highs because Highs did ‘t card.
When I moved to the city the store to buy beer, because seriously that’s all we would buy there, was called the market or the corner store. I’m going to the market to buy a suitcase, come with?
When I moved to the city the store to buy beer, because seriously that’s all we would buy there, was called the market or the corner store. I’m going to the market to buy a suitcase, come with?
Can you expand on where "by god" came from? Usually people don't make the names longer for no particular reason. Is it related to the "oh thank heaven for 7-11" commercials?
In Quebec it’s called deppaneur, or “dep” as a short form.
lallalaa(2)
As a native kiwi, I've never ever heard it called a "milk bar". Dairy is the more common term. What say you aussies?