Photo by Rick Geary

A dive bar is a gloomy drinkatorium located in the basement of a commercial building.

Dear Matthew Alice: Where does the term “dive,” meaning a sleazy bar, come from? — Maria, El Paso, TX

Matt: I know what “egg” is, but what’s “nog”? — Tom G., San Diego

Some festive holiday questions to start the new year. I can tell what you’ve been doing while we here at the Reader were on our annual one-week meditation retreat and high-colonic therapy. For the big finale this year, the Reverend Moon married us all in a mass ceremony. Anyway, there’s been more than the usual bedlam around the offices ever since.

So, cleansed and centered, with my inner child scheduled for release from juvie any day now, I’ll herd you all onto the Concorde and we’ll jet off to England, once again responsible for some of the dopey things we say. Historically, a dive bar is a gloomy drinkatorium located in the basement of a commercial building, popular with shady folks who prefer not to be seen, I guess. You have to walk down a set of stairs to find the front door. The bars acquired the name “dives” because you have to “dive” down below street level to get in. Many of these bars were near waterfronts, which may have contributed to the aquatic theme. “Nog” comes from “noggin,” a small wooden or ceramic drinking mug from which Brits drank nog, ale with a beaten egg in it, yet another irresistible British taste treat. In the U.S. in the 1700s we drank cider, rum, or brandy with an egg in it and called it eggnog. The cream came later.