honky-tonk

• honky tonk, honkytonk

From honk-a-tonk (“a cheap nightclub”), possibly imitative.

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɒŋkiˌtɒŋk/, /ˈhɑŋkiˌtɑŋk/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

honky-tonk (countable and uncountable, plural honky-tonks)

1. (US) A bar or nightclub that caters to Southern patrons and provides country music for entertainment.
   • 1969, Shel Silverstein, “A Boy Named Sue”, performed by Johnny Cash:

     But I made a vow to the moon and stars / That I'd search the honky-tonks and bars / And kill that man who gave me that awful name

   • 1975, James Taylor, “Mexico”, in Gorilla, →OCLC:

     Talking 'bout in Mexico (Mexico) / In a honky-tonk down in Mexico

   • 2025 May 5, Spencer Kornhaber, “Is This the Worst-Ever Era of American Pop Culture?”, in The Atlantic‎^[1], →ISSN:

     New honky-tonks have been popping up across the nation, even in blue states.

2. (dated) Any cheap nightclub.
3. (dated, uncountable) The type of music typically played in such a club.
4. (music, uncountable) A style of country music emphasizing traditional country instruments (e.g., guitar, steel guitar and fiddle); a rough, nasal vocal style; and tragic themes such as heartbreak, infidelity and alcoholism often associated with patrons of honky-tonks.

• honky tonk-like
• honky-tonker

honky-tonk (comparative more honky-tonk, superlative most honky-tonk)

1. (of sound) Having a timbre or tone that is tinny or nasal, said especially of a honky-tonk piano.
   This entry needs a sound clip exemplifying the definition.

   Synonym: honky tonk-like

   • 2001 April 28, John A. Tuttle, “Tuning the Piano for "That Honky-Tonk Sound"”, in Mechanical Music Digest Archives‎^[2]:

     There is a method for creating the 'Honky-Tonk' effect via tuning. However, there is no agreement about exactly how it should be accomplished. One point of agreement is that the effect is created by shifting the pitch of one string per note in the entire tri-chord section by 2-5 Hz, which causes a very noticeable 'twanging' sound.

   • 2010, Alyson Camus, “Elliott Smith Reviews Reposted”, in Rock NYC‎^[3]:

     In the Lost and Found (honky Bach): The beginning of the song, which seems to be played on a tiny toy-piano delivering a piercing honky-tonk sound, surprised everybody and made critics cringe (Pitchfork hated it), although it gives an upbeat feeling to the song which progressively evolves into a bigger and more symphonic sound in the middle, then crashes into a guitar loop (‘the roost’) which serves as a transition for the next song.

   • 2014 March 11, Tomislav Zlatic, “Free Piano Collection For NI Kontakt 5 Released By Bigcat Instruments”, in Bedroom Producers Blog‎^[4]:

     The freebie piano bundle features Yamaha, Steinway and Baldwin pianos, with an additional prepared piano sample library, an intimate piano sample pack, and a honky-tonk piano instrument library.

• honky

• honky-tonk on Wikipedia.Wikipedia