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last chance saloon

(chiefly, Britain, figuratively) A place that one is said to inhabit when facing an imminent disaster with diminishing or limited remaining opportunities to avoid it; a last chance to take action.

ˌlɑːs(t) tʃɑːns səˈluːnDocumented since 1880sSilenthistorical51 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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Born ~1883 · no dated citations yet
1883BornToday, 2026

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#1·Apr 27, 2026UK

(chiefly, Britain, figuratively) A place that one is said to inhabit when facing an imminent disaster with diminishing or limited remaining opportunities to avoid it; a last chance to take action.

Unless we find a million pounds by Monday, the company will go bust. We really are in the last chance saloon.
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UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK

(chiefly, Western US, historical) A saloon located at the end of a road or the outskirts of a town.

Unless we find a million pounds by Monday, the company will go bust. We really are in the last chance saloon.
Origin: [[File:Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon-3.jpg|thumb|Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon (sense 1) in Oakland, California, USA. Established on the waterfront in 1883, the current name of the saloon refers to the time when it was the first chance for many sailors to drink alcohol after a voyage, and also the last chance for them to do so before leaving on a voyage.]] Said to be from the name of a former type of bar or saloon in the United States in the 19th century that offered customers the final opportunity to drink alcohol before passing into an area where alcohol was prohibited o. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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