greasy spoon
noun Slang.
a cheap and rather unsanitary restaurant.
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transliterate
Origin of greasy spoon
An Americanism dating back to 1920–25
Words nearby greasy spoon
greaseproof paper, greaser, greasewood, greasies, greasy, greasy spoon, greasy wool, great, great abaco, great ajax, great ape
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for greasy spoon
greasy spoon
noun
slang a small, cheap, and often unsanitary restaurant, usually specializing in fried foods
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Idioms and Phrases with greasy spoon
greasy spoon
A cheap restaurant, especially one serving short-order fried foods. For example, College students short of cash tend to eat a lot in that greasy spoon. This expression also implies that the restaurant is not very clean. [c. 1900]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.