Coffeehouse?!

[Victor Steinbok]

Sorry--"coffee shop" is the formal designation for Dutch suppliers, but
"coffee house" is heard occasionally from the customers (or potential
customers). "Coffee-shop" as listed under "coffee" in OED also lacks
this definition.

     VS-)

On 1/10/2012 5:35 PM, Victor Steinbok wrote:
> Although the OED definition does not exclude it, the Dutch use of
> "coffeehouse" to mean "an officially sanctioned supplier of legal
> cannabis" does not appear (of course, they were not around in 1876).
> There is also an occasional use of "coffeehouse" to represent an
> organized but informal gathering where musical performance is featured
> (usually guitar-based or other "folk" music). In neither instance is
> coffee served or featured in any other way.
>
>     VS-)
>
> On 1/10/2012 4:39 PM, Benjamin Barrett wrote:
>> Grammar Girl decides to use "coffeehouse"
>> (http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/hyphens-in-compound-words.aspx)
>> while I'm like "What?" She claims that different dictionaries
>> variously hyphenate, open or close this compound.
>>
>> Sure enough, Wiktionary gives the open and hyphenated forms as
>> alternatives to "coffeehouse"
>> (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/coffeehouse) and the AHD has the open
>> form as an alternative to "coffeehouse"
>> (http://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=coffeehouse&submit.x=0&submit.y=0).
>> My Mac spell checker doesn't mind the closed form.
>>
>> The Mac dictionary has the closed form and provides the Wikipedia
>> article that is also closed.
>>
>> The OED has citations only through 1876; all but one are hyphenated.
>> (Also, the OED definition and comment are also outdated.)
>>
>> I don't see myself using the hyphenated or closed form soon, but, to
>> coin a phrase, YouNeverKnow.
>>
>> Benjamin Barrett
>> Seattle, WA

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