early doors

Questions

What does early doors mean?

Early; at a time before expected; sooner than usual.

Where does early doors come from?

According to some, the phrase originated at a time when English pubs closed in the afternoon as a term for customers who were waiting or arrived soon after the pub re-opened in the evening. Alternatively, the phrase is said to originate in the theatre world, where it described a facility available to early-arriving members of the audience, who were allowed to avoid the crush and choose the best seats in return for paying a small premium.

How to pronounce early doors

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “early doors”.
2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “early doors”.
4. Repeat and practice — Say “early doors” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.