Street
tea pad
What does tea pad mean?
An after-hours parlor, especially in Harlem in the 1930s-40s, where people gathered to smoke cannabis and hear jazz.
"Musicians unwound at a Harlem tea pad after the last set."
Origin
From jazz-era 'tea' (cannabis) plus 'pad' (a place/apartment).
Frequently asked questions
What was a tea pad?
A 1930s-40s after-hours parlor, famously in Harlem, where people gathered to smoke cannabis and listen to jazz.
Why was it called a tea pad?
In jazz-era slang 'tea' meant cannabis and 'pad' meant a place or apartment, so a tea pad was literally a weed-smoking spot.
Do people still use the term tea pad?
It's largely a historical term now, tied to the jazz age rather than modern cannabis culture.
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Vocabulary Flow — saved to your collection.
