craphouse, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

craphouse n.

[crap n.¹ + SE house]

1. (orig. US) a lavatory.

1939		J. Steinbeck Grapes of Wrath (1951) 28: A litter of crap-houses.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1957		H. Simmons Corner Boy 27: Who in hell is interested in a babe built like a crap house?
1969		P. Boyle All Looks Yellow to the Jaundiced Eye 57: In the name of God, what class of a joint does the little pintle think he is running? A convent or a crap house?
1981		G. Johnston Fish Factory 66: The Porangiwharenui County Council crap-house.

2. (orig. US, any unpleasant, dirty place; thus US show business) a small, unfashionable venue.

1967		L. Bruce Essential Lenny Bruce 103: I’m tired of working these craphouses.
1977		(con. 1960s) D. Goines Black Gangster (1991) 52: What the hell are you [...] doing down here in this craphouse?

craphouse luck (n.)

(US) unexpectedly good luck.

1953

L. Uris Battle Cry (1964) 144: Talk about craphouse luck.

craphouse rat (n.)

(US) an image of unpleasantness; in phrs. as cunning as a craphouse rat, as dirty as a craphouse rat.

1942		N. Algren Never Come Morning (1988) 10: I’m smart as a craphouse rat.
1960		E. Hyams Unpossessed 197: Old Ernie was as tough as boot leather and, again in Sercombe’s words, ‘as cunning as a craphouse rat’.
1974		C. Marowitz Open Space Plays 50: If I had a choice, I'd be dirty as a craphouse rat before taking a shower with Rocky.
1997		M. Knopp Mayflies xii: He had that intense, crazy-as-a-craphouse-rat look, [I] attributed it fully to his obsession with mayflies.
2002		Knopp & Cormier Mayflies xii: I glanced across at Malcolm as he talked about insects. He had that intense, crazy-as-a-craphouse-rat look.