A sign, usually a bush or ivy post, hung outside an alehouse to indicate that ale was sold there, serving as advertisement for drinking establishments.
From 'ale' + 'bush' (the plant used as a sign). In medieval England, alehousekeepers hung ivy or bushes above their doors as a universal sign recognized by any passerby, since most people couldn't read.
Before neon signs and logos, the alebush was the medieval marketing genius—a bush literally meant 'free drinks this way!' This is why you still see ivy and grape vines on old pub signs today, hanging as tradition from centuries ago.
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