Word Confusion: Salon versus Saloon

Posted October 29, 2024 by kddidit in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

This word confusion salon vs saloon came about when a character learned the difference between salon and saloon when she had her first professional haircut, and it got me to thinking.

The most expected difference between the two is that a salon is where you get your hair cut while a saloon is where you can get a drink. That said, the definitions can get more particular.

A salon can be a large room where “important” people gather to talk. In one particular definition, a Salon is an art exhibition of living artists.

A saloon is generally a large public room where people gather to drink, eat, or party. In England, it can refer to a sedan automobile.

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Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

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Salon	Saloon
Hairdresser’s Salon in Brastad, Sweden, is W.carter‘s own work and is under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.	Red Dog Saloon, Juneau Downtown Historic District, by Gillfoto is under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
Part of Grammar:
Noun ¹, ² Plural: salons	Noun Plural: saloons
Noun: An establishment where a hairdresser, beautician, or couturier conducts business ¹ [French] A reception or drawing room in a large house [Historical] A regular social gathering of eminent people (especially writers and artists) at the house of a woman prominent in high society [North American English] A meeting of intellectuals or other eminent people at the invitation of a celebrity or socialite [Salon] An annual exhibition of the work of living artists held by the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture in Paris ²	Noun: A public room or building used for a specified purpose [North American English; historical or humorous] A place where alcoholic drinks may be bought and drunk [Nautical] A large public room for use as a lounge on a ship [Nautical] The officers’ dining and social room on a cargo ship [British English; also saloon car] A luxurious railroad car used as a lounge or restaurant or as private accommodations [British English; also saloon car] An automobile having a closed body and a closed trunk separated from the part in which the driver and passengers sit A sedan
Examples:
Noun: You have to get your hair cut in a professional salon for the best results. This is a hairdressing salon? We’re meeting in the salon. In eighteenth century England, Elizabeth Montagu was known for her salons. It’s worth infiltrating Washington political salons. The Salon des Refusés was an exhibition in Paris ordered by Napoleon III in 1863 to display pictures rejected by the Salon and included such artists as Manet, Cézanne, Pissarro, and Whistler.	Noun: I’m sure there’s a billiard saloon nearby. This town has to have a saloon. “Wait for us in the saloon, darling,” she said with a simper. There’s a crew meeting in the saloon. I’m famished. Let’s go to the dining saloon. Didja see? The neighbors bought one of them four-door saloons.
Derivatives:
	Noun: saloonkeeper
History of the Word:
Late 17th century, from the French. See the definition for saloon on the right. In 1667, the official art exhibition, sanctioned by the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture, a division of the Académie des Beaux-Arts, occurred at the Salon Carré in Paris. Its purpose was to display the work of recent graduates of the École des Beaux-Arts and was essential for any artist to achieve success in France for at least the next 200 years.	Early 18th century, in the sense drawing room, from the French salon, which is from the Italian salone meaning large hall, an augmentative of sala meaning hall.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

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