English Rewind - London Life: The pub

Hello! This is a programme from the BBC Learning English archive.

It was first broadcast in February 2007 on the BBC Learning English website.

We do hope you enjoy it.

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Hello, I'm Callum Robertson and this is London Life.

They are something of a British institution,

they have their own specialised vocabulary

and there are over 6,000 of them in London alone.

What am I talking about?

Well, it's the good old pub, of course.

Going to the pub is something that is quintessentially British,

it's something that's part of our heritage, our culture

and it's an experience which isn't really the same anywhere else in the world.

So, first, what do we mean by a pub?

The word 'pub' is short for 'public house', 'a public house'.

A public house is a place where alcoholic drinks

are sold for people to consume on the premises.

What makes a pub a pub and not simply a bar

is that pubs usually have some kind of homely atmosphere.

There might be lots of wood in the décor, carpets on the floor

and, if you're lucky, an open fire

where you can sit with your drink and keep warm on a cold winter's night.

Pubs are usually identified by a sign hanging outside.

These signs were originally compulsory following a 14th century law

which said that whoever was making beer to be sold had to hang out a sign.

These days, most pubs are still marked by a sign hanging outside

and the names of pubs are also very traditional, like The King's Head,

The Rose and Crown and the Carpenter's Arms.

There's a lot of specific vocabulary associated with pubs

and 'pub' is not the only word they are known by.

'Booze', for example, is a slang word for 'alcohol'

and so 'the boozer' is another name for 'the pub'.

A pub that you regularly go to, you call your 'local',

and in your 'local' you are known as 'a regular'.

So, what is it about the pub experience that makes it so special?

Dean Fetzer runs a website

which provides a guide to and reviews of thousands of London pubs. He told us why.

Well, it's about the whole package, it's about the environment, the atmosphere,

the people who work in the pub, the people who visit the pub,

and the beer is important, but it's not the ultimate part of the experience,

it's about how you find the pub.

So, according to Dean,

it's not the beer that's most important about going to the pub.

It is important, but it's not the ultimate part of the experience.

And that is the overall atmosphere and environment,

the people who are there and the people who work there.

It makes it all a very social and enjoyable experience. Listen again.

Well, it's about the whole package, it's about the environment, the atmosphere,

the people who work in the pub, the people who visit the pub,

and the beer is important, but it's not the ultimate part of the experience,

it's about how you find the pub.

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In most pubs, you can buy a wide range

of alcohol and soft drinks, wines and spirits,

but, because most pubs have a connection with 'breweries' —

companies that brew or produce beer — this is the main product sold.

There are many different kinds of beers and lagers.

In Britain, if you order a beer, what you get what is called 'bitter',

a dark beer which is not very gassy.

'Lager' is the golden drink with more gas

that is more common in many other countries.

So, if this is what you want and you're in an English pub, be sure to ask for lager.

And, although you can buy beer and lager in a bottle,

it's more usual for it to be served by a pump,

which brings up the drink from barrels in the cellar of the pub.

In Britain, beer and lager from the pump

is sold in measures of a pint or half a pint. Just those two.

A pint is about half a litre. And the word 'pint' is very useful to remember.

With British people, you can use it when arranging a drink and buying a drink.

For example, a very common phrase to use is this one:

Fancy a pint?

Fancy a pint?

It means, 'Would you like to come to the pub with me and have a drink?'

Quite a long sentence there,

so it's useful to remember the short version, 'Fancy a pint?'

And, of course, the word 'pint' is used when ordering your drinks in the pub.

'A pint of bitter, please.' 'I'll have a pint of lager, please.'

And if you don't want a pint, but half a pint, then we just use the word 'half'.

'Half a bitter, please.' 'Half a lager, please.'

And one more thing —

if you're going to an English pub there's another thing to remember.

Here's Dean Fetzer again.

Don't expect a waiter to come to your table and take an order,

'cos it doesn't happen in a lot of them.

Some are, some are doing, some are doing it now, but it's still quite a new thing.

That's right, when ordering your drink in a pub,

you go to the bar and speak directly to the person working behind the bar.

There are no waiters coming to the tables to take orders!

Well, that's all from this edition of London Life

and, I must admit, I'm feeling a bit thirsty now. Anyone fancy a pint?

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