pub sign
Inn's hanging advertisement
A pub sign is the painted board or hanging sign outside a British pub displaying its name, typically featuring imagery—a red lion, a crown, a ship.
The tradition dates to medieval England when most people couldn't read, so distinctive pictures identified establishments: The pub sign showed a black swan on a gold background.
Many pub names and their signs reference heraldry, royalty, or local history.
- tavernPublic drinking establishment
- innLodging for wayfarers
- ye oldeFake archaic phrase
- olde worldeAffectedly antiquated style
- aleWarm-fermented malt drink
hanging · painted · swinging · brewery · arms · coat of arms · coach · horse · crown · lion · red · dragon · landlord · creaking · wooden · iron · heraldic · establishment
- signsexit, open, billboard, no entry, marquee
- medieval signscoat of arms
- trade signsbarber pole, mortar and pestle, apothecary jar
- LondonChelsea, Westminster, Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Big Ben
- barscocktail bar, gold bar, silver bar, bartender, bar stools