What is this from - "the room in the back where the Buffaloes used to have their secret meetings"?

Cafe Society
#1

As often happens to me, I had a flash out of nowhere of a brief snippet of a story or novel that I read long ago. All I remember was, the narrator was talking about a pub or a restaurant, and he mentioned “a room in the back where the Buffaloes used to have their secret meetings.” The Buffaloes presumably being some sort of fraternal order like the Freemasons. For some reason I want to say it’s from something George Orwell wrote (Keep the Aspidistra Flying?) but I really cannot say for certain.

That’s literally the ONLY thing I can remember from the story - a room in the back of a bar or restaurant where “the Buffaloes” had their meetings. It must have been 10 years ago or maybe more since I read whatever this was. I greatly appreciate the help of anyone who can tell me.

#2

The Flintstones?

#3

That’s the Royal Order of Water Buffalos.

As far as ‘the room in the back’ of a pub, the only thing that comes to mind as a repeated motif is the Dortmunder series, where the gang would meet in the room in the back of the pub.

#4

I did some more searching. It was - as I guessed - from Keep the Aspidistra Flying.

It was about 13 years ago that I read that book. And I did not find it particularly memorable. The “archives” of the human brain are pretty remarkable that way. I can’t remember a thing from the book other than that one line, and that the main character was 40 years old.

#5

Actually, there seems to be some consensus that it was the Loyal Order of Water Buffalos. We’ll need an episode script to be sure.

#6

You’re right, Loyal. Too much anime, I think. (I listen to subtitled anime. Yes, in fact the L/R transposition does screw with my head a lot. Especially since I just finished watching Macross Frontier. )

#7

Are you sure you weren’t watching Macloss Flontiel?