Referring to adult entertainment for gentlemen in different regions / Cómo referirse al entretenimiento para caballeros adultos en distintas regiones?

Question

Many young professionals find themselves traveling a lot, and oftentimes they, or their hosts may suggest an evening of male adult entertainment or what is referred to in a very euphemistic way as a visit to the "gentlemen's​ club"

Few activities are as prone to exotic idioms and local customs as this, yet knowing what to ask for or suggest in a meaningful way could be very useful for everyone involved. Without going into the dirty specifics of local lore, we all know what we're looking for, nothing illegal or soliciting, just plain male adult fun.

In the US for example, one does not go to the "gentleman's club" unless you're writing a police report. You go with your pals to the "tittie bar" (California) or "nudie bar" (well understood all over the US). The gentleman's club is something altogether different in the UK, and surely not what you'd expect.

So, how do you refer to those establishments in different Spanish speaking regions?

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Muchos jóvenes profesionales deben viajar mucho, y con frecuencia -ya sea ellos o sus anfitriones- se verán en la situación de pedir o sugerir una tarde de entretenimiento adulto para caballeros, lo que eufemísiticamente se llama "visitar un club para caballeros"

Pocas actividades son tan susceptibles de conocerse por regionalismos o modismos exóticos como ésta, y el saber que pedir o como sugerirlo, sería utilísimo para todos los involucrados, sin tener que abundar en los sucios detalles de la usanza local, todos sabemos a lo que nos referimos, nada ilegal o procuración de blancas, simple y llanamente entretenimiento para adultos.

En los Estados Unidos uno no va al club para caballeros, a menos que lo estés relatando en un informe policial. Uno va con sus compas al tittie bar (California) o al nudie bar (en todos los EEUU se entiende) . Sin embargo el club para caballeros es algo totalmente distinto y seguro no lo que esperabas en el Reino Unido. Entonces la pregunta es

¿Cómo se le llama a este tipo de establecimientos en distintas regiones hispanoparlantes?

Answer 1

Me voy a animar a dar una respuesta local para España, tomando como punto de partida que hablamos de locales donde no se comercia con sexo. La verdad es que es curioso porque preguntando por aquí la gente no conoce un nombre coloquial concreto para este tipo de locales. Aquí lo que se ha estilado de siempre ha sido directamente el puticlub:

puticlub

De puta y club.

1. m. coloq. Bar de alterne donde se favorece o se ejerce la prostitución.

Sin embargo, desde hace algunas décadas empezaron a aparecer locales más "suaves" (por decirlo de alguna forma), en los que poder ver espectáculos para adultos sin tener que llegar a serle infiel a tu pareja. Los locales de este tipo son los que la gente no sabe denominar, aunque un término que ha aparecido conversando con mis colegas ha sido American show, por aquello de que este tipo de espectáculos se ha importado de Estados Unidos, o se han hecho famosos por las series y películas de allí.

Buscando un poco más, en el diccionario también aparece:

estriptis
Tb. estriptís.

Del ingl. striptease.

1. m. Espectáculo en el que una persona se va desnudando poco a poco, y de una manera insinuante.
2. m. Local donde se realizan estriptis.

Nótese que en la segunda acepción se indica que se denominan así los locales donde se realiza esta práctica. Ya como término más genérico se me ocurre también sala o local de alterne:

alternar

7. intr. Dicho de una persona, especialmente de una mujer: En ciertas salas de fiestas, bares y lugares semejantes, tratar con los clientes para estimularles a hacer gasto en su compañía, del cual obtiene generalmente porcentaje.

Answer 2

Mexico has quite a few ways to name this establishments, but I'll leave our the local-specific hoices in favor of those that are understood Nationwide.

First and foremost

Congal

As opposed to antro (as in antro de vicio y perdición) an antro is a regular night club for dancing and a night out with the girlfriend​.

In a congal proper you will find exotic dancers and a mostly male audience. There are, however different categories: a regular congal Is a modern, safe place for adult gentlemanly fun, there is also, however, the

Tugurio

These are basically congales the but implicitly run-down, shoddy, probably not a good idea to visit unless you can't afford otherwise.

In smallish towns all over, where everybody knows each other, there are establishments advertising as

Café cantante

you'd think it's a kind of karaoke, but, alas, there is no singing and coffee is not served. Indeed, these are places where one spends his money in exchange for company, but not much more, remember it's a small town!

In rural areas we can find the humorously named

Junta de mejoras

this is where the men and field workers go and mostly get drunk, and can find some company too. After the revolution in 1910 these juntas de mejoras were supposed to be formal meeting places,, sponsored by the government, where the rural leaders would discuss the betterments for the community, but that quicky got sidestepped in favor of plain fun, also sponsored by the government. (You gotta get the votes somehow!) Now days only the name remains, and everyone knows it's the local cantina. Sponsored by beer companies mostly.)

As for the activity of visiting the club, there are a few popular choices here, but the better known all throughout Mexico are:

Congalear

which is like "ir de marcha" in Spain specially in the large cities. The idea is to get together with your friends, choose q designated driver (and probably an alibi) and visit two or three congales before the night is out.

Do this too often, and your will get a reputation for congalero.

The alternative, often used among the youth, is the self explanatory ir a ver pelos although obscure, everyone knows what ver pelos entails. It's definitely an icebreaker for foreigners, to be "in the know". You'll never hear that one in polite comany.

Finally, this one is right up there with the insular pticlub in the humorous class of euphemisms:

Where would you go, if you wanted to ver pelos?

Of course: no other place than

El pelódromo

Synonym for congal I kid you not.

Answer 3

_{Community wiki answer to summarize the other ones. Feel free to expand it or to add here an abstract of your own answer.}

Spain

• Sexless:
  • American show.
  • Estriptis.
  • Local de alterne.
• Sex implied:
  • Puticlub.

Mexico

• Sexless:
  • Congal.
  • Tugurio.
  • Café cantante.
  • Pelódromo.