End-of-the-pier
adj ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Pertaining to a bawdy, old-fashioned style of broad comedy. UK, derogatory, not-comparable, usually
"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)."
Example
More examples"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)."
Etymology
A reference to the pleasure piers in British seaside resorts, which often featured music hall entertainment and were popular working-class holiday locations.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.