Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a restaurant, a bar, anywhere where alcoholic refreshment is available.

1958		E. Dundy Dud Avocado (1960) 86: His own preferred watering-hole, the Select in Montparnasse.
1961		H. Ellison Rockabilly (1963) 70: Stag – who had kept the lamps going all the night before in the watering-holes.
1968		D. O’Grady A Bottle of Sandwiches 205: This water-hole had extracted quite a few quid out of me in one way and another.
1971		J.D. Horan Blue Messiah 83: For Gus, who maintains the best watering hole in this lousy town.
1974		J. Charyn Marilyn The Wild (2003) 5: He knows all my resting places [...] Every water hole.
1977		Philadelphia Inquirer (PA) 6 Feb. 19/1: The Irish belters [...] who belly up at the watering hole [...] never thought they would see old Shoosh Novelli banging down a shot and a beer again.
1980		T. Lewis GBH 15: You don’t go down to the nearest watering hole [etc].
1985		B. Humphries Traveller’s Tool 71: I don’t just collect books of matches from the various watering holes I frequent around the world.
1998		(con. 1986) G. Pelecanos Sweet Forever 61: The Dutch Treat, a nondescript neighborhood watering hole near the National Archives.
1996		J. Byrell Lairs, Urgers & Coat-Tuggers 85: So, it was only natural that the Sydney was one of the favourite watering hole for all sorts of entertainment types.
2001		(con. 1945–6) P. Doyle Devil’s Jump (2008) 175: We were mostly hitting water holes where I wasn’t known.
2005		J. Stahl I, Fatty 262: The opportunity came to open up my very own watering hole.
2012		A. Bergen ‘Dread Fellow Churls’ in Crime Factory: Hard Labour [ebook] Next stop watering hole — Ziggy’s gin mill.
2012		T. Robinson ‘Last Call’ in Dirty Words [ebook] I spent the afternoon trying to find them at all the other watering holes.
2016		Facebook 15 July 🌐 It was right next to the watering hole where old mate shit his daks when this daggy, yobbo bugger came at him with an axe.
2018		‘Aidan Truhen’ Price You Pay 103: [J]oin me at a nearby watering hole and drink a refined cocktail sporting some sort of combination of fruit and umbrellas in celebration.
2020		D. Whish-Wilson Shore Leave 26: Webb had the name of their last watering hole.

2. (gay) an area where one can wander in search of sexual partners, usu. a park or a bar.

1972

B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular.