clip joint

clip joint

An establishment, often a restaurant or club, that routinely overcharges or otherwise swindles its patrons. I refuse to go to that club and pay its exorbitant cover charge—it's a real clip joint.
See also: clip, joint
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

clip joint

n. a business establishment that cheats customers. The clip joint on Fourth Street was busted last night.
See also: clip, joint
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

clip joint

An establishment such as a nightclub or restaurant that habitually overcharges or cheats customers. The verb “to clip” has been a slangy synonym for “to cheat” since the 1920s. The equally slangy cliché came soon afterward. It is still a frequent usage. The television comedy Seinfeld had it in 1992: “What kind of clip joint are you running here?”
See also: clip, joint
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • the place to be
  • be in the club
  • be in the pudding club
  • join the club
  • Join the club!
  • pudding
  • no cover
  • come up to
  • ladies' night
  • clipped
References in periodicals archive
Eli-Flex's Protekt-a-Splice is a new resin material formulated to seal gaps in conveyor belt clip joints and mechanical fasteners, The resin is a combination of epoxy and polyurethane hardeners in a hybrid system.
Eli-Flex's revolutionary resin. (Product & Process News)
Certainly, as Laurie observes, 'gay, mad killer Ron was the power of the Krays.' Along with older brother Charlie, the twins had first made their mark as professional boxers in the 50s, using their physical strength to extend their 'business interests' running clubs and cheap clip joints.
No ordinary East End boy; Ronnie Kray - A Man Among Men. By Laurie O'Leary (Headline, pounds 16.99). Reviewed by Simon Evans
His lowdown on shopping in Williamsburg is priceless, as is his anticipation of two "rural clip joints," The Homestead and the Greenbrier, only one of which turns out to deserve the slur.
States of Mind: A Personal Journey Through the Mid-Atlantic
Offering bleary-eyed tourists a little fun at a seemingly simple game of chance like the notorious razzle-dazzle (an almost unwinnable game played with eight dice), the apparently slow-witted proprietors of the clip joints cheated to permit the tourists to win small and then lose big--and fast.
Praying for Sheetrock: A Work of Nonfiction
Police believe that her murderer may have fallen foul of one of London's notorious 'clip joints', which have been accused of tricking men out of money.
MYSTERY PAL MAY BE KEY TO CAMILLE KILLER; Midland man with her on night before murder
Cops believe that her murderer may have been a victim of one of London's notorious 'clip joints' which have been accused of tricking men out of money.
IS THIS MAN CAMILLE'S KILLER? Police want to quiz him over student's brutal murder
The starting point is a clean-up operation of Soho's notorious clip joints - places where punters were taken for a ride in more ways than one, though never in the way they hoped for.
Gripping look at 60s Soho; Best of this week's TV This slick police drama follows the lives of mismatched coppers forced to clamp down on clip joints - with disastrous results HE KILLS COPPERS SUNDAY, STV,9pm
The message is sent to people walking within 30 metres of Soho "clip joints" which prey on drunken businessmen and tourists.
TXT WARNING ON SEX CLUBS
That should keep the Vegas clip joints in business for a while.
Boxing: Mike's got fat chance of winning fans over
The original date in Italy had to be postponed because Tyson was in such appalling condition and his preparations for the bout in Glasgow have been punctuated with visits to Las Vegas clip joints.
Boxing: Brutal truth is that Iron Mike's life is a shambles; THE VOICE OF BOXING