# meat market

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/meat-market
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A place where one goes for a casual sexual encounter, such as a bar (establishment) or nightclub.

## Examples

- That nightclub is just a meat market.
- He refused to go to the new bar because he heard it was a total meat market.
- She felt uncomfortable at the party because it felt like a meat market where everyone was just judging each other based on their looks.
- The crowded lounge functioned primarily as a meat market, where patrons prioritized fleeting encounters over genuine conversation.

## Origin

The colloquial sense was coined in the 1950s, though the habit of likening human sexual activity to meat dates to at least the 16th century. Early modern English records numerous variations on the theme, including the 16th-century phrases "to have a jumble in the giblets" and "to have a bit of mutton." The association persists in the term "carnal relations," derived from the Latin *caro*, meaning flesh or meat. The 1950s coinage simply applied the marketplace setting to an existing linguistic preference for describing physical intimacy in terms of the butcher's inventory.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.