BESPOKE RESTAURANT TIPS

Thank you to my friends for all the great suggestions of words to discuss.

Today's word is BESPOKE (ahhh!)

Bespoke (ahhh!) is the English word for custom or customized. Bespoke Tailoring is basically a custom suit - in England you find lots bespoke items: tailoring, curtains, invitations... the ONLY Bespoke thing you absolutely cannot get is Bespoke Chocolates. That's because they are only available in nyc and they can't ship overseas (believe me I've tried to get them!!)

Other things:

A mess is called a Tip, as in "This place is a tip!"

If you wanted to leave a tip in a restaurant you would be leaving gratuity which, when included in your check (which by the way is called your bill) would be called a service charge. Here's a good sentence to practice with, "Is there a service charge included in my bill because I wasn't sure if I should leave a gratuity?"

A reservation is a booking and you can conjugate book like a verb.

What time shall I book for?

Have you booked?

David is booking a table!

If the restaurant is a tip it is likely full of rubbish and the staff will have to tidy it. A tip is a mess, to tidy is to clean and rubbish is the word for garbage or trash. A rubbish bin is a garbage pail and trash bags are known as bin liners or black sacks.

When you're out to eat you may need to use the bathroom. In England a bathroom is a room with a bath, so you're really looking for the toilets or a loo. They don't say restroom but if you asked for the ladies you would be OK. Toilet paper is also known as toilet roll or loo roll and a toilet paper holder: loo roll holder.

If you were hoping to get an appetizer you'll need to ask for a starter. And since it takes too long to say main courses you choose form a list of mains. Desserts are called puddings or sweet. Sometimes people will ask if you "Fancy sweet?"

To Fancy is to want.

Four years ago I asked an english guy if he wanted to hang out on the weekend, my future-husband replied with a text saying "Fancy tea on Sunday." I immediately called my cousins for translation, "Does that mean he's busy having expensive tea this weekend?"