Greasy spoon's a colloquial or slang term used in Britain, Ireland and North America for small, especially cheap, archetypal working class restaurants or diners. The name "greasy spoon"'s used to imply a less-than-rigorous approach to hygiene and dishwashing, and appears in use in the early twentieth century. United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, greasy spoons are generally called cafes, which in England's often colloquially referred to as a "caff". Not all cafés are greasy spoons, howev… (More on Caff)