Grub Street

G

Grub Street (metonymy)
/ɡrʌb striːt/

Meanings

• A term for struggling writers or low-quality journalists producing cheap, commercial work.
• The world of hack writing or low-paid literary work.
• It also means inferior, poorly written texts that are often copied from others.
• A historical street in London (now Milton Street) associated with poor writers in the 17th–18th centuries.
• A general term for low-quality or sensationalist literature.

Synonyms: hack writing; pulp fiction; penny-a-liner; yellow journalism.

Example Sentences

1. Many aspiring authors in the 18th century lived on Grub Street, churning out pamphlets for a few pennies.
2. She left her job as a poet to join Grub Street, writing clickbait articles for quick cash.
3. The old Grub Street in London was home to impoverished scribes and printers in the 1700s.
4. The publisher specialized in Grub Street novels, filled with sensational plots to attract mass readers.

Origin and History

The term “Grub Street” originates from a real street in London, England, historically located near Moorfields, now known as Milton Street. Etymologically, the term is believed to derive from the Old English word grybban, meaning “to dig,” which may relate to the street’s name through an association with a person named Grubbe or a topographical feature. The figurative use of “Grub Street” to denote a class of impoverished writers and low-quality literary production emerged in the 17th century. This metaphorical usage likely stems from the street’s association with struggling writers, printers, and booksellers who produced cheap, commercial works to survive. Another theory suggests the name reflects the gritty, laborious nature of the writing trade in that era, akin to “grubbing” for sustenance. The available sources confirm the term’s connection to the physical street and its literary connotations, with no definitive evidence to support alternative origins.

Historical Context

Grub Street’s historical significance is tied to its role as a hub for London’s early printing and publishing industry, particularly during the 17th and 18th centuries. The street was home to nonconformist communities and housed printers, booksellers, and writers who produced pamphlets, newsbooks, and other ephemeral publications. During the English Civil War (1642–1651), Grub Street became a center for political propaganda, with printers like Bernard Alsop facing imprisonment for publishing controversial material. The lapse of the Licensing of the Press Act in 1695 led to a surge in publishing activity, cementing Grub Street’s reputation as a place of hack writing. By the 18th century, prominent writers like Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope used the term pejoratively to criticize low-quality literary output, reinforcing its metaphorical meaning. The street was renamed Milton Street in 1830, but its figurative sense persists in modern usage.

Country of Origin

The phrase “Grub Street” undeniably originated in England, specifically in London, where the physical street existed. Its metaphorical use as a term for hack writers and low-quality literature also emerged in England, tied to the socio-economic conditions of the city’s publishing industry in the 17th century. No evidence suggests the term’s figurative or literal origins in any other country, as its development is deeply rooted in London’s literary and printing culture.

Earliest Printed Record

The earliest known printed reference to “Grub Street” in its figurative sense appears in Works by John Taylor, published in 1630. The specific quotation reads:

“When strait I might descry, The Quintescence of Grubstreet, well distild Through Cripplegate in a contagious Map.”

This passage, though obscure, is cited as the first instance where “Grub Street” refers to a group of mean or needy authors, marking the term’s transition from a geographic to a literary descriptor. The work was published in London, reflecting the local context of the term’s usage.

Cultural and Literary Impact

The term “Grub Street” gained prominence in the 18th century through its use by literary figures like Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope, who disparaged the hack writers associated with the street. Samuel Johnson’s 1755 Dictionary defined it as “originally the name of a street in Moorfields in London, much inhabited by writers of small histories, dictionaries, and temporary poems; whence any mean production is called grubstreet.” This definition solidified its derogatory connotation. The term also inspired later works, such as George Gissing’s 1891 novel New Grub Street, which explores the struggles of writers in a commercialized literary world. Despite the physical street’s renaming and redevelopment, “Grub Street” remains a potent metaphor for the challenges faced by struggling writers.

Variants

• Grubstreet
• Grub Street hack
• Grub Street writer

Quality, Work

Last update: September 9, 2025 6:48 AM