tommy-shop
Definition
- Noun:
- A company store or canteen: a shop, often located within or near a factory or workplace, where workers could purchase goods, historically sometimes paying with tokens or receiving wages in the form of goods rather than cash. This practice was common in the 19th and early 20th centuries, especially in industrial settings.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The miners were forced to spend their wages at the tommy-shop, which charged inflated prices. (A company store where workers were compelled to buy goods, often unfairly.)
- The tommy-shop at the textile mill sold bread, clothing, and basic necessities. (A workplace canteen providing essential items.)
Advanced Usage
- "to be under the tommy-shop system": to be subject to a system where workers are paid in goods or tokens redeemable only at a company store.
- Many laborers were trapped under the tommy-shop system, unable to save money. (A exploitative practice limiting workers' freedom.)
Variants and Related Words
- Tommy (n): a British soldier (slang), but also historically a term for a loaf of bread or a ration.
- The soldiers received their tommy at the mess hall. (A portion of bread.)
- Shop (n): a place where goods are sold.
Synonyms
- Company store: a retail outlet owned by a company that sells goods to its employees.
- Canteen: a small shop or refreshment bar within a workplace or institution.
Phrasal Verbs
Related Idioms
- "To be caught in the company store trap": to be financially dependent on a workplace's own store, often due to debt or unfair wages.
- Many workers were caught in the company store trap, owing more than they earned. (A situation of exploitation.)