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In the decades following its first use in 1902, the surrounding context of greasy spoon usually included words along the lines of lousy, wind up eating in, slinging hash, the underside of society, settle for, or rather starve. And while things haven't changed entirely, a recent wave of nostalgia has elevated the status of greasy spoons. Since the 1970s, the descriptions might contain words like fabled, distinction, beloved, classic, an institution, fondness for, and comfort food. Now you can consult a Greasy Spoon Guide and read up on Best Greasy Spoons, or lunch at a diner restored to look like a greasy spoon. Some of these eateries are now even named "The Greasy Spoon."
Examples of greasy spoon in a Sentence
Christopher Bollen, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2023
The greasy spoon sat on the far end of the first floor of a massive brick building that had once been a cotton mill.
—Mary Frances Ruskell, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025
And in 2023, the British fashion house Burberry partnered with Norman’s Cafe, a reboot of a classic English greasy spoon that opened in London in 2020, promoting its new collection with the help of starchy comfort food like chip butties (a carb-on-carb sandwich of thick fries in a bun).
—Alice Newell-Hanson, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
City Island Diner feels like being in a small hometown greasy spoon that could be anywhere from Ohio to upstate New York.
—Kaitlyn Rosati, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for greasy spoon
Cite this Entry
“Greasy spoon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greasy%20spoon. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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