This week's Economist has an advertisement for a house in a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland. The house has, on the First Floor:
Sitting Room, Snug, Study, Kitchen, Family Room/Dining Room,
Utility Room, Conservatory (emphasis added)
The upstairs has what one would expect — bedrooms and bathrooms.
What is a snug in a private residence?
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a snug as:
2.a. dial. or slang. The bar-parlour of an inn or public-house; = snuggery n. 1b. Also snug bar.
2.b. One of the compartments in the taproom of an old-fashioned inn.
By extension, a snug in a private house might be an elaborate wet-bar with stools, tables and chairs, but this is just a guess. Does anyone out there have a snug in their house?
Best Answer
Here is an advertisement for a three bedroom property a few miles from the village in which I live in Worcestershire, UK. The link may not survive if the property is sold, so here are the details :
The room contains a sofa and a wood burning stove.
I would say it is what Americans would call a 'den'. It is informal, cosy and garden-centred. But there is no sign of a wetbar.
From this and other real estate adverts in the UK, it seems that the modern estate agent's idea of 'snug' has nothing to do with pub snugs - they just like the word and the concept of cosiness and relaxation.