joy house
A dated American slang term for a brothel — dressing up the nature of the establishment with a cheerfully evasive name.
Definitions
A dated American slang term for a brothel — dressing up the nature of the establishment with a cheerfully evasive name. Like many euphemisms for sex work venues, 'joy house' leans into ironic understatement, using the word 'joy' to sidestep the blunter vocabulary. Common in mid-20th century crime fiction and noir dialogue, it belongs to a tradition of colorful underworld vocabulary that used innocent-sounding words to discuss illicit businesses.
The detective traced the missing witness to a joy house on the edge of town.
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(US, _, slang) A brothel.
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Semantically related
- can house69%
Chicago-born slang for a brothel or bordello. 'Can house' was part of the city's early 20th-century underworld vocabulary, where shady establishments needed discreet labels. The term sits in the same murky drawer as 'house of ill repute' and 'disorderly house' — euphemisms that let people refer to the business without spelling it out. Rarely heard today outside of historical crime writing or Chicago blues lyrics, but it captures the blunt poetic genius of old-school American street talk.
- can house68%
(US, mainly Chicago, slang) A brothel, bordello.
- monkey-house67%
(US, dated) A brothel.
- cathouse66%
(US, slang) A brothel.