Has anyone come across the expression “stop tap” when used within an otherwise Welsh sentence?
I kept coming across it in Bethan Gwanas’ “Hi Oedd Fy Ffrind”, and for a long time was puzzled.
This story is set amidst student life in Aberystwyth in the 1980s, and you will be as shocked as I was to learn that this apparently involved a lot of drinking…
I eventually twigged that it probably referred to “closing time” at the pub, which I’m sure has a lot of names, but I’d not heard that expression in that context before, although it’s pretty logical, come to think of it.
When I try googling it, I just get loads of hits for DŵrCymru.com …
…oh, just tried a variation on my search terms and found this:
Yes, it was quite a common phrase for the time when the landrord decided to stop serving drinks when I was a student in Aberystwyth and where I was brought up in S E Monmouthshire, many years ago when I frequented pubs.
I know it well from way back when I was a student. I’m not even sure where geographically. I just knew it and what it meant… common usage!! I guess it’s gone out of fashion!
I checked on Google and found that the use of ‘stop tap’ to mean ‘last orders’ is specific to Wales!! (I could have sworn I’d heard in first in Yorkshire, Devon, Dorset or London!!!)
p.s. I expect it was in the family from my childhood and I didn’t realise it came with us, not where we happened to be!!
Interestingly Tudur Owen used the phrase 'stop tap’when he was telling a bilingual joke on his programme on S4C last night meaning that the landlord had called last orders/time and was no longer serving drinks.
to learn that this apparently involved a lot of drinking…
