Pubs are a British mainstay, analogous to American bars. What Americans might call their neighborhood bar is known in the UK as the “local.” The term “public house” was first used in the 17th century; the landlord or manager was dubbed a publican. Pubs are licensed to serve “beer, wine, and spirits” and serve classic food, such as fish and chips, pickled eggs, pork scratchings (pork rind), and ploughboy’s lunch (a sandwich of buttered bread, cheese, ham, pickle, and onion. Read more about old London in A Brain. A Heart. The Nerve. (see NOVELS).
