VIII. Read the two dialogues below and note the language waiters use talking to customers.

H.W. — Head Waiter G. —Guest W.— Waiter

Dialogue 1

H.W.— Good evening, Sir.

G1 — Good evening.

H.W.— Do you have a reservation?

G1 — Yes, yes we do.

H.W.— Could I have your name, please?

G1 — Mortimer. M-O-R-T-I-M-E-R.

H.W.— Mr. Mortimer. Right, a table for two. Can I take your coats?

G1 — Oh, yes, that'll be fine.

H.W.— Would you like to come this way?

W. — Good evening, Madam. Good evening, Sir. Would you like an aperitif?

G2 — Mm, I could do with a drink. I think I'll have a gin and tonic.

W. — A gin and tonic. With ice, Madam?

G2 ---- Without.

G1 — And I'll have a dry sherry, please.

W — A dry sherry. Here's the menu. : later) Your drinks, Sir.

G1 — Thanks.

W — A roll, Madam?

G2 — Yes, please.

W — Would you like some water?

G1 — No, that's OK.

W — Very good, Sir. Would you like to order now?

G1 — Yes, I think so.

W — Very good, Sir.

Dialogue 2

W. — Would you like to order now, Sir?

G1 — Yes, I think we're ready. My friend would like the lamb and

I'd like the fillet steak with fried potatoes and a green salad.

W — One lamb and one fillet steak with fried potatoes and a green

salad. How would you like your steak done, Sir? Rare, medium or well done?

G1 —Oh, medium rare, please.

W — Very good, Sir. And would you like anything to start?

G2 — Yes, I'd like a soup.

W — Would you like the vegetable soup or the consomme, Madam?

G2 — Oh, the vegetable, I think.

W — Vegetable soup. And for you, Sir?

G1 — Well, I'm slimming. I'm not too sure.

W —I'd suggest the melon, Sir.

G1 —OK, yes.

W — Have you chosen your wine, Sir?

G1 — Yes. We'llhavetheStEmilion.

Idiomatic English.

Soup's on — means «the food is ready, come and eat». e.g. — When are you going to complete the job? — Soup's on. You can have it any time.

To beef up — means «to add to» or «to make stronger». You beef smth up to make it better.

e.g. If you want to win the championship, you'll have to beef the team up.

If we don't beef the unit up, the whole installation might col­lapse.

When you ham it up, you exaggerate your movements. People usually ham it up to be funny.

For instance, someone always hams it up when people are watching. Actors who are very dramatic and exaggerate their voices and movements are hams. To make a pig of oneself.

People think that pigs are dirty and that pigs eat a lot.

It's not nice to compare a person to a pig.

e.g. If you eat too much, you're making a pig of yourself.

When you have other fish to fry, you have other things to do.

— Would you like to go to the cinema tonight? A new film is on.

— Sorry, I have other fish to fry, maybe some other day.

The expression 'hot dog' can show excitement. When you go ba­nanas because something makes you happy, you might say «Hot dog!»

Hot dog can also describe someone who shows off. Other people don't always like a hot dog.

e.g. James doesn't give anyone else a chance to score a goal. Such a hot dog!

She is a very good tennis player, but a real hot dog, too.

A hot potato on the other hand, means trouble. Imagine taking a baked potato out of the oven with your bare hands. You'd probably put it down quickly! A hot potato is something that you want to get rid of or avoid.

e.g. The new quality requirements are a real hot potato, but we still have to discuss them.

There are idioms about keeping and telling secrets.

When you spill a pot of beans, everyone can see them.

When you spill the beans, you tell a secret. You tell something that you weren't supposed to tell.

e.g. I didn't mean to speak about my new appointment, but my boss spilled the beans.

An egghead is an intelligent, educated person.

Practice 1. What do you say? Tick the correct sentence. David added extra facts to the story.

1. David added extra facts to the story.

a) He has hot potato.

b) He beefed it up.

2. Frank studies all the time.

a) He's a hot potato.

b) He's an egghead.

3. Carla told the secret.

a) She spilled the beans.

b) She hammed it up.

4. Steve ate the whole pie.

a) He had other fish to fry.

b) He made a pig of himself.

5. They added more rice to the soup.

a) They hammed it up.

b) They beefed it up.

6. That actor always exaggerates.

a) He's an egghead.

b) He's a ham.

7. Ruth always has a million things to do.

a) She has other fish to fry.

b) She spills the beans.

8. Everyone argues about this problem.

a) It's a hot dog.

b) It's a hot potato.

|9. Carol acts silly when she knows we are watching her.

a) She hams it up.

b) She beefs it up.

10. The tennis player jumped up and down after he won the game.

a) He's a hot dog.

b) He's an egghead.

11. We wanted Ted to come with us, but he couldn't.

a) He makes a pig of himself.

b) He has other fish to fry.

Practice 2. Complete the sentences with one of the idioms. You may use an idiom more than once.

1. Ellen and Tony don't have time to play cards. They _________________.

2. Please be serious, Bob. Don't always _____________________.

3. You're sick because you ate too much. I told you not to _________________ .

4. Liza always overacts. She's _____________________.

5. Ray found out the answers to the text. Do you think he'll __________________ to the other students?

6. The gardens at the museum look terrible. The museum director should ________________ the gardening staff.

7. Bill and Brian never spend time with their family. They always _______________________ .

8. Laura always gets high grades. She's ____________________.

9. Timmy always rides his bike «no hands». He's __________________.

10. Nobody agrees about this problem. It's _________________________.

11. Let's ___________________ this soup with some chopped vegetables.