ESL Podcast 618 - Eating at a Casual Restaurant

something the matter with - a problem or issue with something; something that isn't right or correct

Is something the matter with your leg? You're walking strangely.

how to put this - a phrase used when one is uncomfortable because one wants to say something that might hurt another person's feelings or be awkward

I don't know how to put this, but you should know that you don't look very good when you wear orange or yellow colors.

diner - a restaurant that serves informal, inexpensive meals

This diner serves great fried chicken and mashed potatoes.

hole in the wall - a business, restaurant, or store that doesn't look very nice and is not fancy

I know this place looks like a hole in the wall, but it has very good service.

mom and pop - referring to a small business owned by a married couple or a small family

As a teenager, Ross spent each summer working in a mom and pop grocery store down the street from his house.

it's the (something) that counts - a phrase used to show that one particular thing is what really matters or what is really important, and nothing else is as important as that one thing

It's too bad you didn't like his gift, but it's the thought that counts. Wasn't it a nice surprise that he remembered your birthday?

ambiance - environment; the way that a place looks and how it feels to be there

We could improve the store's ambiance by changing the lighting and hanging some plants from the ceiling.

greasy spoon - a small restaurant that serves a lot of inexpensive, informal food, such as fried foods

Can you recommend a greasy spoon in this town where I can get a hamburger and really good French fries?

fancy - very nice, luxurious, and expensive; nicer than normal; nicer than other versions of something

The actress wore a very fancy dress that was made from silk and covered in diamonds.

tablecloth - a large piece of fabric or plastic placed over a table to protect it from spilled food and drink and/or to make it look more beautiful

Putting a lace tablecloth over that old table would make your dining room look really nice.

mood lighting - lights that are put in certain positions and turned on to specific levels of brightness to make people feel a certain way

To prepare for his date, TJ tried to use mood lighting to make his living room more romantic, hanging small red cloths over the lamps to dim the light.

snooty - snobby; stuck-up; thinking that one is better than other people and not treating those other people very well

The people at the country club are really snooty to anyone who isn't a millionaire.

booth - one part of a restaurant with two long, soft benches facing each other with a table in between, not a table with individual chairs

Would you prefer one of these booths along the back wall, or a table by the window?

jukebox - a large machine that people put money into so that they can choose which song will be played next

Old jukeboxes used to play records, but nowadays, they play CDs or even MP3 files.

counter - a long, flat surface like a table, but attached to the floor or another piece of furniture so that it cannot be moved, often used for preparing foods or for selling products

The girl behind the counter said the store was sold out of umbrellas, but that a new shipment would arrive next week.

ahead of time - in advance; before something else happens; with early planning

If you had told us you were coming ahead of time, we would have cleaned the house for your visit.

pie - a dessert made by baking fruit and sugar in a round, deep plate lined with pastry or dough, usually covered with pastry or dough, too

Most Americans eat pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving.