Saloon has bothered me too. Why are automobiles with two rows of seating called sedans in America and saloons in Britain? There are saloon cars on trains and halls called saloons. Saloon for drinking bar is supposed to be American, so maybe the term has crossed the water, dear Lady Penelope. How long have they had saloon bars in London?. In the States, a lounge may be a bar with soft seating (girls beware, frequented by the lounge lizard), or it may be a bar car on a train or a waiting-sitting room in an hotel. I have heard it applied to a settee or sofa or chesterfield or couch (take your pick).