Drinking-Place Names in the Central United States

Abstract

Regional patterns in the names of commercial drinking establishments are explored with reference to the delimitation of culture areas in 15 states between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River. A data base of over 6.000 names, taken from 105 yellow-page telephone directories, represents some one-third of all establishments, with a focus upon cities of small and medium sizes

Four categories of names are examined: generic, environment-related, ethnic-social and "western." Quantitative expressions of nomenclature are augmented with a frequency measure of all establishments in constructing a set of nine drinking-place regions, the most definitive of which are titled Bar Bell, Beer Parlor Belt, Dixie Drought Belt and Drinking Club Belt.

Drinking-place regions are at greatest variance from recognized culture areas in respect to the West, the northern Middle West, the northern Rio Grande Valley and a tri-state zone from southern Kansas to northern Texas. More intensive studies of drinking-place names, as a possible prelude to full cultural reexaminations, are recommended for these four geographic sectors in particular.