Blind Tiger
A Prohibition speakeasy dressed up as a sideshow, you paid to see the 'tiger' and got a drink free.
Definitions
Synonymous with 'blind pig', a low, unlicensed drinking den.
An illegal saloon or speakeasy during Prohibition, often disguised to dodge liquor laws.
Specifically, the legal dodge where patrons paid admission to view a mock attraction and received a complimentary drink, sidestepping the ban on selling liquor.
Blind Tiger In A Sentence
Origin & Usage
American slang predating Prohibition, attested in the late 19th century and flourishing in the 1920s. The name reportedly came from the ruse of charging to see a 'blind tiger' or other curiosity and giving away the liquor; the exact origin story is folk-etymological and not firmly documented.
People Also Ask
What does blind tiger mean?
It is old slang for an illegal bar or speakeasy, especially one using a trick to sell liquor without breaking the letter of the law.
Where did the term blind tiger come from?
The common story is that bars charged to 'see a blind tiger' and gave the drink free, dodging liquor laws. That origin is widely repeated but not firmly documented, so treat it as folk etymology.
Is a blind tiger the same as a blind pig?
Essentially yes, both meant unlicensed Prohibition drinking spots; 'blind pig' was the more common northern variant.
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