Gay Tea Rooms

[firetto]

In gay terminolgy, what does the phrase "Tea Rooms" mean?

[Toffee]

I'll be buggared if I know the answer to this.

[Quizmonster]

If you click here, that will link you to a 'gay slang' web-page. If you scroll down to 'tea trade', you'll find it refers to activities in public toilets. It should be easy to work out what 'tea-rooms' are from that! (I have to point out that I found this site by googling "gay slang"+"tea rooms"!)

[sft42]

I believe it is something akin to the quaint old practice of "cottaging" though I am not well versed in gay slang.

[Jabba]

It is simply the American equivalent of the British slang "cottageing".

[Quizmonster]

'Tea Rooms' doesn't sound very American to me. It was a standard name for a caf� throughout Britain until relatively recently. Are you sure, Jabba? I'm not saying you're wrong, by the way...it just doesn't sound right

[robber1]

Makes me wonder about tea and crumpets now.

[Headtime]

Quizzy, is there something you want to tell us?

[bluedolphin]

I wonder if Tiffin has been hijacked ????

[Quizmonster]

What can you mean, H?

[Greedyfly]

A place to drink tea

[Kev_UK]

OMG.. I will never look at those "Cream Teas" signs again in the same light LOL

[passionfruit]

The phrase "tea room" was coined to describe public meeting places, usually restrooms, that homosexual men could meet and have sex as strangers-no strings attached.It is said that the phenomenon grew greatly during the Industrial Revolution as more and more married,"straight" men, needed it as physical release from everyday stress. Seemingly inane markings on walls, etc. would help those looking for such encounters in their quest for anonymous sex.