ESL Podcast 815 - Buying Dinnerware

dinnerware - plates, bowls, cups, and silverware used for eating meals

When their kids were little, they used plastic dinnerware that couldn't break.

cracked - with lines running through an object that is supposed to be solid, like a glass, plate, or wall

The windshield is cracked, but it will cost too much to get it fixed.

chipped - with a small gouge or hole in an object that should have a smooth, flat surface, especially a piece of glass or porcelain

How did this vase get chipped?

to trust (one's) judgment - to believe that another person will do the right thing and allow him or her to do something or make a decision without one's involvement

Why doesn't the manager trust our judgment? She won't let us make any of the decisions around here.

input - feedback; opinion about how to do something

Please review the attached file and send me your feedback by the end of the week.

place setting - one set of dishes, plates, cups, silverware, and a napkin intended for use by one person during a meal

They set the table with formal place settings with three forks, two spoons, and a knife for each person!

dinner plate - a large plate used for the entrée (main course) in a meal

If you want to lose weight, try using a smaller dinner plate so you don't eat as much.

salad plate - a smaller plate used for salad (a mixture of small pieces of vegetables), usually when the rest of the meal is served on one or more larger plates

Trent filled his salad plate with spinach, small tomatoes, and sliced carrots.

soup bowl - a large bowl used for soup or stew

She put chili in a soup bowl and sprinkled it with chopped onions and grated cheese.

mug - a large, tall, thick cup with a handle, used for hot beverages or soup

After a long walk in the snow, he was looking forward to sitting in front of the fireplace with a mug of hot chocolate.

microwave-safe - able to be put in a microwave without cracking or melting

Is this glass bowl microwave-safe, or do I need to use a different bowl?

pattern - decoration; a repeating design of colors or shapes on the surface of an object

The blue, green, and pink pattern in the wallpaper makes me dizzy.

diameter - the distance across a circle; the length of a line that passes through the center of a circle and stretches from one side of the circle to another

This bicycle tire has a 20-inch diameter.

half-assed - an informal, vulgar expression for mediocre or without very much effort; a weak or half-hearted attempt to do something

I've never read such a half-assed report. Who wrote this?

dishes - dinnerware; plates and bowls; pieces of ceramic or plastic used to hold food for serving or eating

They're asking for new dishes as a wedding present.

dream on - an informal, slightly rude phrase used to show that what another person has asked for or is hoping for will not happen and is an impossible fantasy

There's no way Mom and Dad will loan you that much money. Dream on!