June 2021

If the bartender says to someone “you’re cut off” it means they can see you have had too much to drink and they will not serve you any more alcohol. Sometimes someone will tell a bartender, you need to “cut someone off” someone else notices the person has had too much to drink.   Examples: At Club Blu, there were 2 bartenders working. Roxanne had been drinking all night. She was starting to get loud and have slurred speech. One bartender said to the other, if she comes to order another drink, tell her, “Sorry, but you’re cut off.”   Rob and Barry were out at a sports bar. Throughout the evening, Rob had two beers. Barry had 4. Barry waved over the bartender to order another beer. Rob shook his head at the bartender, to signal him to cut Barry off.    

To get wasted/trashed/bombed= want to get drunk Example: The guys showed up to the party shouting “let’s get wasted”.   To be wasted/trashed/bombed = to be drunk Example: Bea noticed that Suzy was completely wasted. Bea drove Suzy home and put her in her bed, to sleep on her side.   Was/were/got wasted/bombed/trashed= was drunk/were drunk/ got drunk Example: He was so trashed last night. I doubt he remembers anything he did.

A designated driver is a person who doesn’t drink alcohol so that they can drive after others have been drinking. The person stays sober. Many times, when people go out in a group to a restaurant, bar, club, or have a “night on the town” someone in the group offers or agrees to be the designated driver. They don’t drink any alcohol and they drive the car. Everyone else I the group rides in the car. Example: Tom and a group of his friends go out every Thursday night. Each week they take turns being the designated driver. This week Andy is the designated driver. When the waitress came to the table to take their drink order, Tom and the other guys ordered a beer. Andy asked for a soda.   Have you ever been a designated driver? Would you agree to be the designated driver?

The Check: In a restaurant, the bill is a list of each item (food & drinks) that you ordered, and the cost/charge of each item. Most people call the bill “the check”. Using the word “check” will may you sound 100% American! Example: Can I have the check? This lets the waiter/waitress know you would like to pay the bill and leave. Then, they will bring you the check.   The Tip: The amount of money you leave after receiving a service, like being served in a restaurant. In the United States, the typical custom is to tip (gratuity) 15-20% of your bill. It is usually rounded up to the nearest dollar. Example: Like in the photo below, the bill looks like it was $20. The person left a $4 tip. If you’re in a restaurant and you pay with cash and you are going to give the waiter/waitress the amount of the check and the tip together. You are not expecting any more back. You can hand the waiter/waitress the money and say, “I don’t need any change.” This, lets them know you are paying the bill and the rest of the money is their tip.   If you are paying with a credit card, there is a section to add/write in the tip ad you add the total amount, letting the restaurant know, the amount you are authorizing your card to be charged.   If you are worried about trying to calculate the tip. Here is a trick! Round up the amount to the nearest dollar. Then, double the amount. Move the decimal place to the left to get the tip. Example: The bill is $49.75. Round the amount up to the nearest dollar. $50.00 Double the amount. $100.00 Move the decimal (.) over 1 place to the…