gentlemen’s clubs

gentlemen’s clubs
The gentlemen’s club is a British institution. Gentlemen’s clubs are comfortable, private places with bars, a restaurant, a library and sometimes bedrooms. They attract as members businessmen, politicians and others from the upper class and the Establishment. Members use their club as a place to meet friends or take business contacts. Most are situated in London’s West End and many have large impressive buildings.
  Membership is expensive and at most clubs is restricted to men, though the Reform Club has had women members since the 1960s. Generally, women and other non-members are not allowed inside clubs except as guests of a member, and women are allowed only in certain rooms. Members must obey rules about dress and behaviour. People wanting to be members may have to wait a long time before they are admitted to the most popular clubs, and will only be allowed to join if an existing member seconds (= supports) them. Any member may object to membership being offered to a particular person by blackballing (= voting against) him.
  Gentlemen’s clubs developed in the mid 18th century. Men had previously met socially and to discuss business in coffee houses where coffee, tea and chocolate, all new drinks in Britain at the time, were available. White’s, the oldest London club, developed from a chocolate house. Some coffee houses, like the later clubs, were linked with particular professions. For instance, Lloyd’s coffee house was associated with shipping and later became Lloyd’s of London. In the 18th century clubs were mainly used for drinking and gambling but later attracted members who shared more serious interests. People interested in science and literature joined the Athenaeum, politicians went to the Reform, the Carlton Club or Brooks’s, and theatre people joined the Garrick.
  Today, the gentlemen’s club suggests to many people an old-fashioned world based on class, where snobbery and prejudice still survive. There is now less interest among younger business people in joining clubs and several have had to close.
  In the US there are not many institutions like the gentlemen’s club. Private universities like Harvard have alumni associations for people who have studied there, and being a member of such clubs is associated with wealth and social status. The club building of the Harvard Club has in many ways the atmosphere of an English gentlemen’s club.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • List of American gentlemen's clubs — The following is a list of notable gentlemen s clubs in the United States. Many of these clubs, but not all, admit women.The traditional gentlemen s club originated in London in the 18th century as a successor to coffeehouses. Today, these clubs… …   Wikipedia

  • List of London's gentlemen's clubs — See Gentlemen s club for an explanation of this particular sort of club. Current Gentlemen s Clubs*Alpine Club; established in 1857 [http://www.alpine club.org.uk/] *Royal Anglo Belgian Club; established in 1909, associated with the Royal Thames… …   Wikipedia

  • gentlemen’s club — ➡ gentlemen’s clubs * * * …   Universalium

  • Gentlemen's Club — Hall d entrée du club Athenaeum Gravure de 1845 Un Gentlemen’s club est un club réunissant à l origine des hommes de la haute société ou upper class britannique, partageant les mêmes centres d intérêt ou les mêmes opinions politiques.… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Gentlemen's club — This article is about traditional gentlemen s clubs. For the popular euphemism, see strip club. The Reform Club, set up in the early 19th century in London A gentlemen s club is a members only private club of a type originally set up by and for B …   Wikipedia

  • Gentlemen's club — Lobby des Athenaeum Club – Gravur von 1845 Ein Gentlemen’s club ist eine Vereinigung meist männlicher Angehöriger der englischen Upper Class. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Geschichte 2 Mitg …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Gentlemen’s club — Lobby des Athenaeum Club – Gravur von 1845 Ein Gentlemen’s club ist eine Vereinigung meist männlicher Angehöriger der britischen Upper Class. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Geschichte …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Gentlemen's club — Hall d entrée du club Athenaeum Gravure de 1845 Un Gentlemen’s club est un club réunissant à l origine des hommes de la haute société britannique ou upper class, partageant les mêmes centres d intérêt ou les mêmes opinions politiques.… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Gentlemen's Chess — (or No Trading Chess ) is a chess variant in which you can only capture completely unprotected pieces. These rules prevent amateur players from capturing a protected piece of equal value and essentially trading the pieces. Gentlemen s chess… …   Wikipedia

  • Clubs —    The three most important New York City clubs for members of the theatrical profession are the Lambs Club (founded 1874), The Players (1888), and the Friars (1907). Many bons mots have been devised over the years to differentiate among them. As …   The Historical Dictionary of the American Theater

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”