shoe-parlor

A man sits in a shoe-parlor to have his shoes polished.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A place where shoes are cleaned and polished: "shoe-parlor" refers to an establishment, typically in a commercial setting, where shoes are professionally cleaned, shined, and sometimes repaired. This term is primarily used in American English.

Usage Examples

• (He visited a shop where shoes are polished.)
• (A business dedicated to shoe maintenance.)

Advanced Usage

• "to run a shoe-parlor": to operate or manage such an establishment.

  • She inherited the family business and now runs a successful shoe-parlor in the city. (She manages a shoe-cleaning shop.)

• "shoe-parlor attendant": a person who works in a shoe-parlor.

  • The shoe-parlor attendant expertly applied polish to the customer's boots. (The worker in the shop.)

Variants and Related Words

• Shoe-parlour (noun, British spelling): the same meaning, but using British English spelling.

  • He visited a shoe-parlour in London for a traditional shoe shine.

• Shoeshine (noun): the act of cleaning and polishing shoes, often performed in a shoe-parlor.

  • He got a shoeshine at the stand near the train station.

• Shoe repair (noun): the service of fixing damaged shoes, sometimes offered alongside shoe cleaning in a shoe-parlor.

  • The shoe-parlor also provides shoe repair for worn soles.

Synonyms

• Shoeshine stand: a small kiosk or station where shoes are polished, often less formal than a shoe-parlor.
• Bootblack's shop: an older term for a place where shoes are shined, especially by a person (a bootblack) in a small booth.

Related Idioms

• "Shine like a new penny": to be very clean and polished, often used metaphorically for shoes after a visit to a shoe-parlor.
  • After the shoe-parlor treatment, his shoes shone like new pennies. (They were extremely clean and glossy.)