Pub is the abbreviaton for
"Public house", it's a place where you meet people, drink beer,
talk with friends, relax, eat and play games. In Britain there are many
pubs everywhere: in the cities and in the countryside, near rivers
and canals, in front of the sea and in isolated places. In the pubs there are
usually two rooms: the "public bar", the place where you drink at the
counter and the "lounge bar" or
"saloon" the place where you can drink and sit.
Pubs open at 11.00 a.m. and
close at 11.00 p.m. Children under 14 can't go into a pub where alcohol is
served. Many pubs have a garden where children stay with their parents. Some
pubs have a children's bar or a family room, children can go into a pub which have a children's
certificate. People under 18 can't buy or drink alcohol and
they can't play on machines that give money as prizes.
Before closing time the owner of the pub shouts "Last orders",and if you want to buy another drink you immediately go to the bar. Then the owner shouts "Time" and you have ten minutes to finish your drink and leave your place.
In pubs you can get alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. The typical drink is beer, it has no gas and it's not served very cold. In many pubs you can get eat traditional English food: roastbeef and Yorkshire pudding, kidney pie, sheperd's pie, but also sausages and fried chicken, sandwiches and salads. In pubs you can play games like dominoes, darts, pool, shove-ha'penny and skittles; you can listen to music, play an instrument and even dance.
Many
British pubs are quite
old. They often have names like"The Queen's Head","The White Horse" or "The
Black Lion". The name and a picture, e.g. a black lion,
are usually painted on a sign outside the pub.