# What do YOU call a liquor store? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 4, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546 "2003-09-04T16:39:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Big\_Norse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/big_norse/32/9954_2.png) [@Big\_Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Norse)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/1 "2003-09-04T16:39:17Z")
This thread was inspired by a thread ([Who Do Those Drunks Think They’re Kidding?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=209049)) where **Bruce\_Daddy** mentions an ABC store. I’ve heard of: ABC (Alcohol Beverage Control) Stores (southern US?, or state specific?) State Stores (state run liquor stores in New Hampshire) The Packy (package stores, a New England term) Class 6 Stores (on US military bases) The Off License (in the UK, I have no idea what that means) What other terms do people use? ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/2 "2003-09-04T16:49:15Z")
In the UK, pubs, bars and many restaurants are “on-licensed” premises. They are licensed to serve alcohol for consumption on (and sometimes off) the premises. Off-licenses are licensed to sell packaged alcohol for consumption off the premises. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/3 "2003-09-04T16:53:16Z")
Around Michigan, they call them Party Stores, but I still say liquor store. It sounds tougher… ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/4 "2003-09-04T16:57:24Z")
Gunna whip to the _bottlo_ for a slab. Bottlo = “bottle shop”. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/5 "2003-09-04T17:00:51Z")
Heaven. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Norse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/big_norse/32/9954_2.png) [@Big\_Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Norse)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/6 "2003-09-04T17:08:14Z")
Thanks **Crusoe** for clearing up that little mystery of the English language (as spoken in England, that is). Another mystery of the English language (as spoken in the US) along these lines is: why “Package Store”? ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/7 "2003-09-04T17:18:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Big\_Norse \* > \*\*Thanks **Crusoe** for clearing up that little mystery of the English language (as spoken in England, that is). > > Another mystery of the English language (as spoken in the US) along these lines is: why “Package Store”? \*\* Because it sells Packaged Liquor, as opposed to a bar that sells prepared drinks. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/8 "2003-09-04T17:19:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Big\_Norse \* > \*\*Thanks **Crusoe** for clearing up that little mystery of the English language (as spoken in England, that is). > > Another mystery of the English language (as spoken in the US) along these lines is: why “Package Store”? \*\* Because they sell the boxes that the liquor comes in. ---
**Author:** ![In\_Conceivable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/9 "2003-09-04T17:23:26Z")
In North Carolina they are called ABC stores. They don’t sell anything except liquor and more recently a few mixers. I have seen many disappointed New Yorkers who thought that it stood for Alcohol Beer and Cigarettes. In my family we have always called it the Sin Store. Not that it has ever stopped us from going there. 🙂 **Bruce** , they SELL the boxes in SC? Here they pile them up in the lobby and you can go take as many as you want. They make the best moving boxes. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/10 "2003-09-04T17:25:41Z")
We have “off-license” or “off-sales” in Canada, too. In B.C, we generally call the gov’t run shops “The Liquor Store,” and the smaller, privately-run, non-spirit-purveying shops “The Beer Store.” Sometimes we call it “The British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch,” but only when we’re taking the piss. ---
**Author:** ![lightingtool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@lightingtool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lightingtool)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/11 "2003-09-04T17:26:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hawthorne \* > \*\*Gunna whip to the _bottlo_ for a slab. Bottlo = “bottle shop”. \*\* How does one pronounce that? I can’t seem to say it. _Bottle-o_ or _bot-lo_? I’ve always been a “Packy” kind of guy, myself. (Grew up in New England) ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/12 "2003-09-04T17:30:58Z")
Before privatization, Alberta Liquor Control Board was in charge of all liquor/beer/wine sales in Alberta. We called it the ALCB. After, we just called it the liquor store. In Ontario, there are government-run Beer Store and liquor stores. Can’t remember the name for the liquor stores offhand. Here in Maryland, we call them liquor stores. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Norse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/big_norse/32/9954_2.png) [@Big\_Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Norse)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/13 "2003-09-04T17:33:12Z")
**In Conceivable** that answers my question as to whether ABC is only used in SC, but I’m sure I’ve heard it outside either of the Carolinas. **lightingtool** I’ve always liked Packy myself, but you get some mighty strange looks here in Chicago when you use it. ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/14 "2003-09-04T17:44:00Z")
I most commonly use “liquor store.” On occasion, I will call it the “packy,” being from New England and all. When attending school in Vermont, I found that many people there called it the “Bevvy,” but that may have been just the local one, called the Beverage Warehouse. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/15 "2003-09-04T17:45:04Z")
In California we call them “Just about anywhere.” ---
**Author:** ![Eliphalet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eliphalet/32/9563_2.png) [@Eliphalet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eliphalet)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/16 "2003-09-04T17:46:22Z")
I’m with **Bruce\_Daddy**. I thought it was called “Heaven” or “Home”. 😃 Seriously, here in MN, it’s called the Liquor Store. And they’re not open on Sunday… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/17 "2003-09-04T17:46:55Z")
In PA, Liquor Stores used to be called State Stores, since the state controlled them. Now they’re just Liquor Stores or Wine and Spirit Stores. You can’t buy beer there, though. You have to go to a distributor for cases. Several types of places sell six packs (144 oz. or so limit to carry out–2 six packs) and soon, we may be able to make our beer purchases in grocery stores. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/18 "2003-09-04T18:07:29Z")
I’ve always called it the Liquor Store, unless it’s a particular store, then it’s, “I’ve got to go to Tower” or “I’m going to stop at Green’s.” ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/19 "2003-09-04T18:08:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by In Conceivable \* > \*\* > **Bruce** , they SELL the boxes in SC? Here they pile them up in the lobby and you can go take as many as you want. They make the best moving boxes. \*\* Maybe they’re free, I don’t know. Actually, maybe they are since I see them on the sidewalk sometimes. Aside: My mother was too embarassed to go down there to get boxes one time when we moved so she had a family friend do it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546/20 "2003-09-04T18:10:59Z")
Oh, and the normal slang term for British off licenses is “offies”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-liquor-store/199546.md?page=2)