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Question for non-US English speakers | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages |  | |
| Spinchäeb Ape Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 4470 days ago 146 posts - 180 votes  Speaks: English*, German | Message 1 of 47 11 November 2013 at 7:44pm | IP Logged | |||||
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I'm helping a Frenchwoman with her English. I always like to make sure she knows when some aspect of English is uniquely American and, if it's said differently abroad, to let her know how it's said there. We say, "paper towels;" they say, "kitchen paper;" we say, "gasoline;" they say, "petrol," etc. In the US, the bill you get in a restaurant is almost always called, "the check." You could call it, "the bill" and be understood, but "check" is definitely the preferred way to say it. People usually say either, "I'd like the check" or "I'd like to settle up" when they're ready to pay.
When you get a statement in the mail from the power company, the phone company, or whoever asking you to pay what you owe, that's called the "bill" and never the "check." "The check" is definitely specific to a restaurant. Are these things said the same way in other English-language countries? I'm sure if they call it the "check," they spell it, "cheque, but is that how they say it? 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| stelingo Hexaglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5832 days ago 722 posts - 1076 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian Studies: Russian, Czech, Polish, Greek, Mandarin | Message 2 of 47 11 November 2013 at 8:32pm | IP Logged | |||||
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In the UK a cheque is what you write out and sign to pay somebody, instead of paying in cash or by credit card, not much used anymore. It is never used to refer to what you pay in a restaurant which is always known as the bill. And bills are also what you pay when you have to pay for the electricity etc.
Incidentally both paper towels and kitchen paper are used to refer to different things. paper towels kitchen paper 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| embici Triglot Senior Member CanadaRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 4610 days ago 263 posts - 370 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, French Studies: Greek | Message 3 of 47 11 November 2013 at 8:53pm | IP Logged | |||||
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In Canada we generally ask for the bill in a restaurant, but you sometimes do hear
cheque. The word cheque mainly refers to what we write and sign in order to pay bills. And we spell it cheque, not check. And it draws money from your chequing account. 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Serpent Octoglot Senior Member Russian Federation serpent-849.livejour Joined 6597 days ago 9753 posts - 15779 votes 4 sounds Speaks: Russian*, English, FinnishC1, Latin, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese Studies: Danish, Romanian, Polish, Belarusian, Ukrainian, Croatian, Slovenian, Catalan, Czech, Galician, Dutch, Swedish | Message 4 of 47 11 November 2013 at 9:01pm | IP Logged | |||||
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I've been taught that in restaurants "check, please" is the standard expression. I've used/told my mum to use it in Finland, Germany, France, Poland, Sweden and now Malta, and yesterday was the first time someone didn't understand it (seemingly a newbie waiter - in Malta. not a native English speaker).
1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Spinchäeb Ape Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 4470 days ago 146 posts - 180 votes Speaks: English*, German | Message 5 of 47 11 November 2013 at 9:28pm | IP Logged | |||||
Okay, paper towels do not mean the same thing here. In the US, what linked to as "kitchen paper" is known as "paper towels." What you linked to as "paper towels" would be called "napkins" here. I've also heard you call those rolls of paper in the kitchen "kitchen rolls." Is that correct? It must be tough for people learning English as a second language. 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Elexi Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5565 days ago 938 posts - 1840 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French, German, Latin | Message 6 of 47 11 November 2013 at 10:29pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Yes - the big rolls of absorbent paper used in a kitchen is often called 'kitchen roll'
in the UK. 3 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Elexi Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5565 days ago 938 posts - 1840 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French, German, Latin | Message 7 of 47 11 November 2013 at 10:30pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Please also remember that England is a class based society and that there is the U and
Non-U distinction :-): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_and_non-U_English This poem will help - these people are non-U: How To Get On In Society by Sir John Betjeman Phone for the fish knives, Norman As cook is a little unnerved; You kiddies have crumpled the serviettes And I must have things daintily served. Are the requisites all in the toilet? The frills round the cutlets can wait Till the girl has replenished the cruets And switched on the logs in the grate. It's ever so close in the lounge dear, But the vestibule's comfy for tea And Howard is riding on horseback So do come and take some with me Now here is a fork for your pastries And do use the couch for your feet; I know that I wanted to ask you- Is trifle sufficient for sweet? Milk and then just as it comes dear? I'm afraid the preserve's full of stones; Beg pardon, I'm soiling the doileys With afternoon tea-cakes and scones. Edited by Elexi on 11 November 2013 at 10:33pm 6 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| 1e4e6 Octoglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 4290 days ago 1013 posts - 1588 votes Speaks: English*, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Norwegian, Dutch, Swedish, Italian Studies: German, Danish, Russian, Catalan | Message 8 of 47 11 November 2013 at 10:33pm | IP Logged | |||||
In the UK and the Commonwealth/Empire, it is called the "post" instead of the "mail". It is illustrated by the usage of "postman" as the man who comes to deliver the post. It was even in the song, Please Mr Postman.
In the UK and COmmonwealth/Empire, it was and is called "bill" for any restaurant accounting of the orders. A cheque is the form used for bank transactions, as an alternative to credit cards or paper money. 2 persons have voted this message useful |
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