pub quiz
/pʌb kwɪz/
Very CommonA trivia competition held in a pub, usually in teams, with prizes for the winner.
More than just trivia. Going to a pub quiz is a social event. Winning matters, but arguing over answers, stealing chips, and staying for 'one more round' is the actual point.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | anyone want to do the pub quiz tonight? we need a fourth | Looking for a teammate to make the team four strong for the quiz. | x, 2024 |
| 02 | pub quiz team confidently put wrong answer. no one said anything. we came third. | The team knew the answer was wrong but went along with it anyway. | reddit, 2023 |
| 03 | won the pub quiz. 20 quid bar tab. immediately spent it all. balanced | Won a bar tab prize and immediately used it, resulting in no net gain. | x, 2023 |
| 04 | the music round at pub quiz is always the one that starts the arguments | Disagreements over music answers are the most heated part of pub quiz. | tiktok, 2023 |
Use it when
- Inviting people to a trivia night at a pub.
- Describing the experience of competing in pub trivia.
- Referring to pub quiz as a social occasion.
Do not use it when
- You mean an online trivia game.
Origin and context
Pub quizzes became widespread in the UK during the 1970s and 1980s, promoted partly as a way to increase weeknight pub attendance. They became a cultural institution across British pub life.
- First seen
- 1970s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/pub-quizUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0