Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

end-of-the-pier

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.81 in modern English

Syllables: end-of-the-pi-er
IPA

21

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

5

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Pertaining to a bawdy, old-fashioned style of broad comedy.

British usage; Derogatory

Example Sentences

"Meanwhile, that butt of the end-of-the-pier comedian's joke, the mother-in-law as dictatorial hag, has become a figure associated with nostalgia for the days when workingmen's clubs were just that (and, indeed, marking a time when generations were forced to live cheek-by-jowl in the same household)."
"It seems a simple yes or no question, but actually compresses a complex group of ideas - about sexuality, gender, meaning and the figurative history of sculpture - into something you might expect from an end-of-the-pier comedy routine."
"The production employed the John Barry Seven to re-work the songs of Gilbert & Sullivan, setting them against the dancing of Lionel Blair, with eye-rolling, end-of-the-pier jokes from Mike and Bernie Winters and Tommy Cooper."

Etymology

A reference to the pleasure piers in British seaside resorts, which often featured music hall entertainment and were popular working-class holiday locations.

Usage

British usage
Derogatory

Questions

What does end-of-the-pier mean?: Pertaining to a bawdy, old-fashioned style of broad comedy.
Where does end-of-the-pier come from?: A reference to the pleasure piers in British seaside resorts, which often featured music hall entertainment and were popular working-class holiday locations.

How to pronounce end-of-the-pier

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