Etiquette Dialogues

Customer: 
Excuse me, Miss.
Could I get some assistance?
Sales Clerk:  Oh, I'm sorry.  I didn't see you come in. How may I help you?
Customer:  I'd like to try on this dress, please.
Sales Clerk:  Of course.  You may use this dressing room.
Customer:  Thank you.
Sales Clerk:  You're welcome.

Customer: 
Excuse me, Sir. Are you our waiter?
Waiter:  Yes.  Have you been helped?
Customer:  No, we've been waiting for drinks for almost fifteen minutes.
Waiter:  I'm terribly sorry.  It's very busy tonight, but I will get your drinks immediately.
Customer:  We would appreciate that. 
Waiter:  Could I bring you some complimentary bread as well to make up for the delay?
Customer:  Yes, please, we'd like that. 
Thank you.
Waiter:  No problem.  Any time. We like to keep our customers happy.

Kid:  Mom!  I want some ice cream!
Mom:  Is that how you're supposed to ask for a snack?
Kid:  Sorry, Mom. 
May I please
have some ice cream?
Mom:  That's much better.  Yes, of course, you may have some ice cream.  Let me get it for you.
Kid:  Thanks,Mom.
Mom:  You're welcome.
*Kid eats ice cream and burps. 
Mom:  What do you say?
Kid:  Excuse me.

Vocabulary: 

appetizer (n.) - a small dish of food you eat before the main meal
entree (n.) - the main course of a meal, especially in a restaurant
dessert (n.) - sweet food eaten after the main part of a meal
snack (n.) - a small amount of food eaten between meals
to dip (v.) - to put (something) into a liquid and pull it out again quickly
to double dip (v.) - to dip something, take a bite, and then dip it again.  This is considered very rude and
disgusting in the US because it spreads germs. 
ravenous (adj.) - extremely hungry, very eager or greedy for food or other things which meet your needs
or desires
By the time Thanksgiving dinner was ready, the children were ravenous. 
to gobble [up] (v.) - to swallow or eat greedily and quickly,  to take eagerly

Synonyms:  to scarf, to snarf
Cookie Monster gobbled up all the cookies in only one minute.
Students learn to scarf their lunches because they have a short lunch break.
You don't need to snarf your food like that, we have plenty of time. 
to grab a bite (v., idiom) – to get something to eat, especially something that can be eaten quickly
Are you busy on Friday night?  Why don't we grab a bite of dinner together?
I just had time to grab a bite to eat in between meetings.
[to be] stuffed (adj.) - to be completely or overly full
Synonym: [to be] [about] to bust
I'm stuffed and couldn't eat another bite. 
I'm about to bust from eating all of your delicious cooking. 

Restaurant Dialogues
Waiter: Hello, can I help you?
Kim: Yes, Sir, I'm ravenous and I'd like to have some lunch, but I'm waiting for my friend.
Waiter: Would you like an appetizer while you are waiting?
Kim: Yes, I'd like some cheese sticks and a Diet Coke, please.
Waiter:  One order of cheese sticks and a Diet Coke coming up.
Kim:  Oh, and I'd like some ranch dip to dip my cheese sticks in, please. 
Waiter:  Got it. 
[5 minutes later.]
Sarah:  Howdy, Kim.  I'm so sorry I'm late.  I got held up at work.  You know I've been trying to fix that
situation created by that temporary worker last week when I was on vacation.
Kim:  Oh, no problem.  I figured you had something going on and would be here soon. 
Waiter: Welcome to Diane's Diner.  May I get you a drink?
Sarah:  Just water for me, please.
Waiter: Are you ready to order?
Sarah:  Oh, I'll need a few minutes to look at the menu.
[5 minutes later.]
Waiter:  Have you decided?
Sarah:  I think I'll start with your garlic bread appetizer and have the spaghetti for my entree
.
Kim: I'd like a grilled cheese sandwich with sweet potato fries please. 
Waiter... After Kim and Sarah have their lunch.: May I bring you dessert or anything else?
Kim: No, thank you, I'm stuffed
.
Sarah:  I hate to eat and run, but I have to get back to work.  Could you just bring the bill, please?
Waiter: Certainly.
Kim:  Sarah, I know you are in a hurry and you picked up the tab last time, so I'm getting the tab today.
Sarah:  Okay, but let me get the tip.  Thanks so much.  I've got to run now.  It was great seeing you. 
Kim:  You too. 

Sales clerk: Welcome to Joe's Coffee.  How may I help you?
Customer: I just came in to grab a bite to eat since I skipped breakfast and need a snack.  I would like a cappuccino and ........ those desserts are making my mouth water.  What are they?
Sales clerk: One is tiramisu and the other is our chocolate cake. 
Customer: Customer:  I’d like a slice of the chocolate cake please.
Sales clerk: Okay. For here or to go?
Customer:  For here, please. You know, my eyes might be bigger than my stomach, but I think I'll have some tiramisu also.  And what are those white things over there?
Sales clerk: Those are peppermint candies. They are very sweet.
Customer:  As you can tell I have a sweet tooth.  I’ll take three, please.
Sales clerk: Alright, your total is $9.95.
Customer:  Here you are.
Sales clerk: Thank you. Here's your change. 

Mom:  Alright, Kids, it's lunch time.  Come eat your sandwiches and chips. 
Billy:  Bobby let's snarf these sandwiches right down so we can get back to our game. 
Bobby:  Yum!  Mom made my favorite – ham and cheese.  I can easily scarf up  three or four of them.
Mom:  Billy, remember to chew.  You don't have to gobble your food so quickly.  Bobby, you don't need to gobble 'til you wobble, one or two sandwiches is plenty. 
Bobby:  You're right, Mom.  I'm about to bust. I couldn't eat a third sandwich anyway. 
Billy:  Thanks for the lunch, Mom

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Английская лексика: как спросить про туалет?

Согласитесь не в каждой ситуации уместно спросить – где находится туалет? И если на родном языке вы сообразите, как затронуть эту деликатную тему в той или иной ситуации, то в случае если вам придется говорить об этом по-английски, вам необходимо знать при каких обстоятельствах какое слово уместно употребить.

К слову сказать, слово «туалет» приобрело привычное для нас значение в русском языке в первой половине 20 века, а в английском и французском языках в конце 19-го. Родилось это слово во французском языке, как уменьшительное от «toile» (холст, полотно). Изначально словом «туалет» называлось укромное место, в котором можно привести себя в порядок. Как правило, это был уголок с туалетным столиком, покрытым тканью, на котором были разложены гребни, заколки и т.п.  Слова  «уборная» и «туалет» в то время не употреблялись  в значении «отхожее место», а когда приобрели этот оттенок, то употреблялся он только в отношении общественных туалетов – в театрах, ресторанах, музеях и т.п.

В английском языке, как и в любом другом, слово «туалет» («toilet») имеет несколько различных вариантов:

    bathroom — ванная комната;
    the ladies, lady’s room – комната для женщин, дамская комната;
    the gents, men’s room – мужская комната;
    restroom – уборная (американский английский);
    washroom – ванная комната (британский английский);
    water-closet (WC) – туалет, клозет (британский английский);
    facilities — удобства в городской квартире;
    loo – туалет, уборная (британский разговорный);
    john, can, head – туалет, нужник, сортир (американский разговорный);
    public toilet – общественный туалет;
    lavatory – туалет, ванная комната в номере гостиницы, в самолете.

Не секрет, что в американском и британском английском один и тот же предмет, явление и т.п. называются разными словами. Слова  bathroom, ladies room, men’s room и restroom употребляются во всех вариантах английского. Такое слово, как  «water-closet (WC)» поймут лишь британцы, американцы же решат, что вы спрашиваете их о каком-то чулане, а вот словом «the lavatory» называют туалет в самолетах на большинстве международных авиалиний.

В разных ситуациях по-разному можно справиться о том, где же все-таки туалет. Так, в официальной ситуации лучше спросить – «Excuse me, could you show me where the ladies room (men’s room ) is? – Извините, вы не покажете мне, где находится дамская (мужская) комнату?». Уместно будет использовать также слово «restroom» — «Excuse me, where can I find the restroom? — Извините, где я могу найти уборную?». Частенько женщины, чтобы не говорить, что им нужно в туалет, прибегают к маленькой женской уловке и говорят, что им необходимо отойти припудрить носик. По-английски это будет звучать так —  Sorry, I’ll move to powder nose.

А вот если вы у кого-то в гостях смело спрашивайте про «bathroom» — «Sorry, where’s the bathroom? — Извините, где у вас ванная комната?». В дружеской обстановке можно использовать менее формальные слова, такие как the john (нужник для мужчин), the can (сортир), the loo (для дам) и TP (toilet paper) -туалетная бумага.

Конечно, проще всего спросить напрямую  — «Где туалет?- Where’s the toilet?». Однако, если не хотите поймать на себе негодующие взгляды чопорных англичан, возьмите на заметку, что слов, обозначающих «туалет» много и употреблять их нужно в зависимости от ситуации.

Tattling vs telling

Watercolour paiting of a badger by Daniel Mackie

Michel Keck has taken the simple elementary school activity of collage-making and elevated it to new levels of artistry.
Using canines as her muses, she matches and glues scraps of paper to form realistic looking portraits of a variety of dogs.
Though viewers know the technical skill in making these artworks is considerably high, the materials Keck uses to fashion each piece is evocative of projects more commonly seen hung on refrigerators.
The sense of irony in these magnificent creations is simply off the charts.

Michel Keck collage. Very funny and so interesting!

From: DON'T GO OUT IN YOUR UNDERWEAR!
Poems by Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz

My Bones

My skeleton tries its best to hide
   But I can feel my bones inside
           My arms
           My legs
  My shoulders
          My toes
          My ankles
          My fingers
          My knees
          My nose.

My skeleton tries its best to hide
   But I can feel my bones inside

Sumo Woodblock print -

Sumo is a competitive full-contact wrestling sport where a wrestler (rikishi) attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring (dohyō) or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet.

The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally. It is generally considered to be a gendai budō (a modern Japanese martial art), though this definition is incorrect as the sport has a history spanning many centuries.