Spittoons are receptacles (usually made of brass) for, well, spitting, specifically residue from chewing tobacco (or dipping tobacco). They were a common feature placed on the floor in saloons, hotels, banks, and other places where men tended to gather.
The practice began to die out in the 1930s, apart from a few regional exceptions. Spittoons today are most often encountered in Western movies or television, and occasionally in seedy bars often near the piano player.
References[]
Again in the Western tradition, a spittoon is glimpsed at the Lily White Milk Bar.
"The Mild Bunch"
Jim Henson's Muppets Annual 1980
"The Mild Bunch"
Jim Henson's Muppets Annual 1980
When Princess Penelope teaches piano to Prince Paul, a spittoon is visible in two panels, vibrating from the music.
"The Princess and the P"
Big Bird's Sesame Street Dictionary Vol. 3
"The Princess and the P"
Big Bird's Sesame Street Dictionary Vol. 3
- On Sesame Street Episode 3522 (1995), Grouch beautician Vidal Spittoon visits (combining the name of Vidal Sassoon and the receptacle for tobacco drippings).