Seriously, though - is this recent?
Not at all certain, to tell the truth. I'm ten years out of my London days myself. (Indeed, I suspect this whole story is a bit of repressed "home sickness" for London.)
But as to the F&C stands in Leicester Square, I'm not sure "stand" is the right word. There are two of them, that I can see in my head clear as day--one right next to a kebab stand (and, to be fair, each actually kind of down the street a bit from Leicester Square.) They're those little places that are kind of shallow into the storefronts--you can't really go more than a few feet in. You just walk up, order yourself a cod, and leave. Is there a phrase for that?
Victor, this is getting really good. I can't wait to read the ex-wife.
Victor, then it's definitely home-sickness. The kebab places are damned near all gone from central London - I go to Paris for them now (off Boul Mich, in the 5th, near the St. Michel Statue and Sorbonne, and Shakespeare and Company). My former fave fish and chip place off Leicester Square is now an oxygen bar.
But as to the F&C stands in Leicester Square, I'm not sure "stand" is the right word. There are two of them, that I can see in my head clear as day--one right next to a kebab stand (and, to be fair, each actually kind of down the street a bit from Leicester Square.) They're those little places that are kind of shallow into the storefronts--you can't really go more than a few feet in. You just walk up, order yourself a cod, and leave. Is there a phrase for that?
Oh, I know what you mean, and I don't have a word for them, either. Kiosk? The good old generic 'place'? Or let it stand. I don't think that many people will be worried by it.
I'd let it stand as well, Am - they're more like tiny little hole in the wall places, not really kiosks.
My curiosity was more along the eyes brightening, "they've put the fish and chip places back???" lines.
Le :::sigh:::. Gone are the days....
Ah. OK. Good to know I'm not the only one that doesn't know what to call those places. "Stand" works as well as anything, it seems. Because, well, you do.
Yummy, though.
And I'm not writing a sequal, never.
hee, snerk, guffaw.
Yeah, right. No sequels. Never.
snicker, laugh
What, pray tell, is an oxygen bar?
Deena, I believe oxygen bars were/are, literally, places you could go to sniff pure--or nearly so--oxygen. Popular for a while in the middle of very big cities several years back. I didn't know there were any still about.
