divey spot
- noun
- /ˈdaɪvi spɑt/
- Informal
:
local
- We ended up at a divey spot on the corner that served surprisingly good cocktails.
Examples
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That bar is such a divey spot!
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He prefers a divey spot for dinner over a fancy restaurant any day.
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That divey spot is popular for its cheap drinks and quirky vibe.
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I love finding a new divey spot in town.
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The new cafe has a divey spot charm that attracts many local artists.
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We found a divey spot near the beach where the drinks were cheap and the music was great.
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After searching for hours, we settled on a divey spot known for its fantastic burgers.
Synonyms
314
5.1
An informal place like a bar or club
34
7.9
A cheap, shabby bar with low prices
16
3.4
A bar or pub where people meet to drink and talk
1
9.8
A cheap bar or dance hall where people dance to country music
A cheap run-down bar where people drink and smoke
A depressing, unattractive place like a club or bar with a sad social feeling
How Seedy
Surface Forms
Morphology
divey + spot
The head 'spot' clearly signals a location, and 'divey' appears to be an adjective formed from 'dive' + -y, so part of the sense (a kind of place) is compositional. However, the key meaning—'shabby, seedy, low-quality'—depends on the slang sense of 'dive' (a seedy bar) and informal adjectival formation, which a B1 learner who only knows the literal meaning of 'dive' (to jump into water) may not infer without prior exposure.
Etymology
The phrase divey spot comes from the old word dive and the idea of a spot you 'dive' into, like a dark basement bar or a hidden room. So, divey spot now means a somewhat 'shabby' but often 'cheap' and 'charming' place with its own character.