Tippling House
Preserved but no longer current.
A contemptuous name for a tavern or public-house. A tippler was formerly a tavern-keeper or tapster, and the tavern was called a tippling house. At Boston, Lincolnshire, in 1577, five persons were appointed "tipplers of Lincoln beer," and no "other tippler [might] draw or sell beer . . ." under penalties.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Tippling House” mean?
A contemptuous name for a tavern or public-house. A tippler was formerly a tavern-keeper or tapster, and the tavern was called a tippling house. At Boston, Lincolnshire, in 1577, five persons were appointed "tipplers of Lincoln beer," and no "other tippler [might] draw or sell beer . . ." under penalties.
Is “Tippling House” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.