EFE learning modules / Eating Out & Restaurants

Eating Out & Restaurants: Fast Food, Menus, and Paying

Common Expressions Back to Catalog

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Grab a bite

/ግራብ ኤ ባይት/

ምግብ መቅመስ

To get something to eat quickly

በፍጥነት የሚበላ ነገር ማግኘት

In Practice

"Let's grab a bite before the movie."

"I need to grab a bite during my break."

Fluent Tip

Used when looking for a quick meal or snack.

My eyes were bigger than my stomach

/ማይ አይዝ ወር ቢገር ዛን ማይ ስቶማክ/

ከሆዴ በላይ ዓይኔ አረፈበት

Ordering more food than one can actually eat

ከሚቻለው በላይ ብዙ ምግብ ማዘዝ

In Practice

"I couldn't finish the pizza; my eyes were bigger than my stomach."

"Don't order the large meal; your eyes are bigger than your stomach."

Fluent Tip

Commonly said when someone leaves food on their plate.

On the house

/ኦን ዘ ሃውስ/

በቤቱ ግብዣ

Provided free of charge by the restaurant

በሬስቶራንቱ በነፃ የሚሰጥ

In Practice

"The dessert is on the house tonight."

"Since we waited so long, the drinks are on the house."

Fluent Tip

Used by restaurant staff to offer free items.

Eat like a horse

/ኢት ላይክ ኤ ሆርስ/

እንደ ፈረስ መብላት

To eat a large amount of food

በጣም ብዙ ምግብ መብላት

In Practice

"He is so thin, but he eats like a horse."

"After the hike, I could eat like a horse."

Fluent Tip

Describes someone with a very large appetite.

Square meal

/ስኩዌር ሚል/

ሙሉና የተመጣጠነ ምግብ

A substantial, satisfying, and balanced meal

አጥጋቢና የተመጣጠነ ምግብ

In Practice

"I haven't had a square meal all day."

"You need a square meal before your trip."

Fluent Tip

Refers to a proper, full dinner or lunch.

Sweet tooth

/ስዊት ቱዝ/

ለጣፋጭ ነገር ፍላጎት

A strong liking for sweet foods

ጣፋጭ ምግቦችን በጣም መውደድ

In Practice

"I have a sweet tooth, so I always order dessert."

"She has a sweet tooth for chocolate."

Fluent Tip

Used to explain why someone wants dessert or candy.

Dine and dash

/ዳይን ኤንድ ዳሽ/

በልቶ መጥፋት

Eating at a restaurant and leaving without paying

ሬስቶራንት በልቶ ሳይከፍሉ መሄድ

In Practice

"They tried to dine and dash, but the waiter caught them."

"Dine and dash is illegal and unfair to staff."

Fluent Tip

Informal term for a specific type of theft.

Whet your appetite

/ዌት ዩር አፓታይት/

ምግብ ለማማለል

To increase the desire for food or something else

የምግብ ፍላጎትን መቆስቆስ

In Practice

"The smell of garlic really whets my appetite."

"These appetizers will whet your appetite for the main course."

Fluent Tip

Used in contexts of appetizers or enticing smells.

Wash it down

/ዎሽ ኢት ዳውን/

በመጠጥ ማውረድ

To drink something to help swallow food

ምግብ እንዲወርድ መጠጥ መጠጣት

In Practice

"I used a soda to wash down the dry burger."

"He drank some water to wash it down."

Fluent Tip

Commonly used when eating dry or spicy food.

Put it on my tab

/ፑት ኢት ኦን ማይ ታብ/

በሂሳቤ መዝግበው

To add the cost to a bill to be paid later

በኋላ የሚከፈል ሂሳብ ላይ መመዝገብ

In Practice

"I'll have another drink; just put it on my tab."

"He told the bartender to put the round on his tab."

Fluent Tip

Common in bars or cafes where customers visit often.

Bite off more than you can chew

/ባይት ኦፍ ሞር ዛን ዩ ካን ቹ/

ከአቅም በላይ መሞከር

To take on a task that is way too big

ከአቅም በላይ የሆነን ነገር ለመስራት መሞከር

In Practice

"Ordering the giant burger was biting off more than I could chew."

"Don't bite off more than you can chew at the buffet."

Fluent Tip

Can refer to food portions or general life tasks.

Bottomless pit

/ቦተምለስ ፒት/

ማብቂያ የሌለው ሆድ

Someone who can eat a lot without getting full

ሳይጠግብ ብዙ መብላት የሚችል ሰው

In Practice

"That teenager is a bottomless pit; he's always hungry."

"I can't believe you're still eating; you're a bottomless pit."

Fluent Tip

Informal and slightly humorous description of appetite.

Eat out

/ኢት አውት/

ከቤት ውጭ መብላት

To eat at a restaurant

ሬስቶራንት ውስጥ መብላት

In Practice

"Do you want to eat out tonight?"

"We eat out every Friday night."

Fluent Tip

General term for going to a restaurant.

Order in

/ኦርደር ኢን/

ምግብ ማዘዝ

To order food to be delivered to your home

ወደ ቤት እንዲመጣ ምግብ ማዘዝ

In Practice

"I'm too tired to cook; let's order in."

"We ordered in Chinese food for the party."

Fluent Tip

Refers to delivery services.

Dig in

/ዲግ ኢን/

መብላት መጀመር

To start eating eagerly

በጉጉት መብላት መጀመር

In Practice

"The food is getting cold, so dig in!"

"They sat down and immediately started to dig in."

Fluent Tip

Informal invitation to start eating.

Fill up

/ፊል አፕ/

መጥገብ

To become full or eat until satisfied

እስኪጠግቡ ድረስ መብላት

In Practice

"Don't fill up on bread before the steak arrives."

"I filled up on appetizers and couldn't eat dinner."

Fluent Tip

Used when talking about reaching capacity while eating.

Go for

/ጎ ፎር/

መምረጥ

To choose or decide on something

አንድን ነገር መምረጥ

In Practice

"I think I'll go for the cheeseburger."

"Let's go for the takeaway option tonight."

Fluent Tip

Common when making a selection from a menu.

Pig out

/ፒግ አውት/

በጣም መብላት

To eat an extremely large amount of food

ከመጠን በላይ መብላት

In Practice

"We pigged out on pizza after the game."

"I tend to pig out when I'm stressed."

Fluent Tip

Informal, implies eating greedily.

Wrap up

/ራፕ አፕ/

መጠቅለል

To pack leftover food to take home

የተረፈን ምግብ ለቤት እንዲሆን መጠቅለል

In Practice

"Could you wrap up the rest of this pizza for me?"

"I'll wrap up my sandwich and eat it later."

Fluent Tip

Asking for a doggy bag or takeaway container.

Pick at

/ፒክ አት/

ቆንጥሮ መብላት

To eat only small amounts of food without appetite

ያለ ፍላጎት ጥቂት ጥቂት መብላት

In Practice

"She wasn't feeling well and just picked at her salad."

"Don't just pick at your food; try to eat some."

Fluent Tip

Used when someone isn't eating much.

Top off

/ቶፕ ኦፍ/

መሙላት

To fill a glass that is not yet empty

መጠጥ ሳይጨርሱ መልሶ መሙላት

In Practice

"Would you like me to top off your coffee?"

"He topped off my glass with more soda."

Fluent Tip

Common for drinks like water, coffee, or wine.

Eat up

/ኢት አፕ/

ጨርሶ መብላት

To eat all of something

አንድን ነገር ጨርሶ መብላት

In Practice

"Eat up your vegetables!"

"He ate up his whole meal in five minutes."

Fluent Tip

Often used as an instruction, especially to children.

Wait on

/ዌይት ኦን/

ማገልገል

To serve a customer in a restaurant

በሬስቶራንት ውስጥ ደንበኛን ማገልገል

In Practice

"A very polite waiter waited on us."

"Who is waiting on this table?"

Fluent Tip

Formal term for the act of serving.

Cut back

/ካት ባክ/

መቀነስ

To reduce the amount of something you eat

የሚበሉትን መጠን መቀነስ

In Practice

"I'm trying to cut back on fast food."

"He was advised to cut back on salt."

Fluent Tip

Used when discussing diets or health.

Hunger is the best sauce

/ሀንገር ኢዝ ዘ ቤስት ሶስ/

ለራበው ሰው ሁሉም ምግብ ይጣፍጣል

Everything tastes good when you are truly hungry

ሲርብ ሁሉም ነገር ጣፋጭ ይሆናል

In Practice

"I'm so hungry that even this plain bread tastes amazing; hunger is the best sauce."

"After a long day of hiking, any food is delicious—hunger is the best sauce."

Fluent Tip

To explain why simple food tastes great.

Too many cooks spoil the broth

/ቱ ሜኒ ኩክስ ስፖይል ዘ ብሮዝ/

ጠጅ በረኛ ይበላሻል

Too many people trying to do the same task leads to failure

በአንድ ስራ ላይ ብዙ ሰዎች ሲሰለፉ ስራው ይበላሻል

In Practice

"We don't need five people deciding on the menu; too many cooks spoil the broth."

"Let one person handle the order; too many cooks spoil the broth."

Fluent Tip

When too many opinions interfere with a task.

You can't have your cake and eat it too

/ዩ ካንት ሃቭ ዩር ኬክ ኤንድ ኢት ኢት ቱ/

ሁለቱንም በአንድ ጊዜ ማግኘት አይቻልም

You cannot have two incompatible things at the same time

ሁለት የማይጣጣሙ ነገሮችን በአንድ ጊዜ ማግኘት አይቻልም

In Practice

"You want a cheap meal but high quality; you can't have your cake and eat it too."

"He wants to save money and eat out every night, but you can't have your cake and eat it too."

Fluent Tip

When someone wants conflicting outcomes.

Bread is the staff of life

/ብሬድ ኢዝ ዘ ስታፍ ኦፍ ላይፍ/

እንጀራ የህይወት መሰረት ነው

Basic food is necessary for survival

መሰረታዊ ምግብ ለህይወት አስፈላጊ ነው

In Practice

"In many cultures, bread is the staff of life."

"We must ensure everyone has access to food; bread is the staff of life."

Fluent Tip

Emphasizing the importance of food.

Half a loaf is better than none

/ሃፍ ኤ ሎፍ ኢዝ ቤተር ዛን ነን/

ከምንም ይሻላል

Getting part of what you want is better than getting nothing

ከማጣት ጥቂት ማግኘት ይሻላል

In Practice

"They were out of the large pizza, so we took the small one; half a loaf is better than none."

"I didn't get the full discount, but half a loaf is better than none."

Fluent Tip

Expressing gratitude for partial success.

Forbidden fruit is sweet

/ፎርቢደን ፍሩት ኢዝ ስዊት/

የተከለከለ ነገር ይጣፍጣል

Things that are prohibited are often the most desired

የተከለከሉ ነገሮች የበለጠ ይፈለጋሉ

In Practice

"I shouldn't eat sugar, which makes me want it more; forbidden fruit is sweet."

"The secret menu items are popular because forbidden fruit is sweet."

Fluent Tip

Discussing things people want because they shouldn't have them.

One man's meat is another man's poison

/ዋን ማንዝ ሚት ኢዝ አናዘር ማንዝ ፖይዝን/

ለአንዱ የሆነው ለሌላው አይሆንም

What one person likes, another might dislike

አንዱ የሚወደው ሌላው ሊጠላው ይችላል

In Practice

"I love spicy food, but my sister hates it; one man's meat is another man's poison."

"He thinks the burger is great, but I find it oily; one man's meat is another man's poison."

Fluent Tip

When acknowledging different tastes.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating

/ዘ ፕሩፍ ኦፍ ዘ ፑዲንግ ኢዝ ኢን ዘ ኢቲንግ/

ከመብላቱ በፊት አታሞግሰው

You must experience something to judge its quality

አንድን ነገር ጥራት ለመለካት መሞከር አስፈላጊ ነው

In Practice

"The menu looks good, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating."

"They claim to have the best tacos; the proof of the pudding is in the eating."

Fluent Tip

When testing if a claim is true.

Don't bite the hand that feeds you

/ዶንት ባይት ዘ ሃንድ ዛት ፊድስ ዩ/

ያበላህን አትናከስ

Do not treat poorly those who are helping you

የሚረዱህን ሰዎች አታስቀይም

In Practice

"The manager gave us a discount, so don't complain; don't bite the hand that feeds you."

"Be polite to the server; don't bite the hand that feeds you."

Fluent Tip

Advice to be grateful and respectful.

Appetite comes with eating

/አፓታይት ካምስ ዊዝ ኢቲንግ/

በመብላት የምግብ ፍላጎት ይመጣል

The more you have, the more you want (literally or figuratively)

ሲበሉ ፍላጎት ይጨምራል

In Practice

"I wasn't hungry at first, but appetite comes with eating."

"Once I tasted the fries, I wanted a whole meal; appetite comes with eating."

Fluent Tip

Explaining how starting to eat makes one hungrier.

Better a dinner of herbs where love is than a stalled ox where hate is

/ቤተር ኤ ዲነር ኦፍ ኸርብስ.../

ፍቅር ባለበት ጎመን ይሻላል

It is better to have a simple meal with love than a feast with hatred

ከጥል ጋር ሰባ ስጋ ከመብላት በፍቅር ጎመን መብላት ይሻላል

In Practice

"Our takeaway was simple, but the company was great; better a dinner of herbs where love is."

"Expensive restaurants are no fun if you're with people you dislike."

Fluent Tip

Prioritizing company over food quality.

An empty sack doesn't stand straight

/አን ኤምፕቲ ሳክ ዳዝንት ስታንድ ስትሬት/

ባዶ ሆድ አይቆምም

A person cannot work properly without food

ያልበላ ሰው መስራት አይችልም

In Practice

"Let's eat before the meeting; an empty sack doesn't stand straight."

"I can't think clearly because I'm hungry; an empty sack doesn't stand straight."

Fluent Tip

Justifying the need for a meal before a task.

Grub

/ግራብ/

ምግብ

Slang for food

የምግብ የቆንጆ ቃል

In Practice

"Let's go get some grub."

"The grub at that spot is amazing."

Fluent Tip

Very informal way to say food.

Joint

/ጆይንት/

መብያ ቤት

An informal place to eat, like a burger joint

መደበኛ ያልሆነ ምግብ ቤት

In Practice

"There is a great taco joint down the street."

"We went to a fast-food joint for lunch."

Fluent Tip

Refers to small or casual restaurants.

Doggy bag

/ዶጊ ባግ/

የተረፈ ምግብ መያዣ

A bag used to take home leftovers

የተረፈ ምግብ ወደ ቤት ለመውሰድ የሚያገለግል ከረጢት

In Practice

"Could I get a doggy bag for this steak?"

"I have a doggy bag in the fridge for tomorrow."

Fluent Tip

Standard term for asking to take food home.

Munchies

/ማንቺስ/

የመክሰስ ፍላጎት

A sudden strong desire for snacks

ድንገተኛ የመክሰስ ፍላጎት

In Practice

"I have the munchies; let's get some chips."

"Late-night study sessions always give me the munchies."

Fluent Tip

Informal, usually refers to snacks.

Foodie

/ፉዲ/

ምግብ ወዳድ

A person who is very interested in food and dining

ለሚበላ ነገር ትልቅ ትኩረት የሚሰጥ ሰው

In Practice

"He's a real foodie and knows all the best spots."

"As a foodie, she loves trying new menus."

Fluent Tip

Common modern term for food enthusiasts.

Nosh

/ኖሽ/

መክሰስ

To eat or a small snack

መብላት ወይም መክሰስ

In Practice

"We had a quick nosh before the show."

"I just want something small to nosh on."

Fluent Tip

Informal, often refers to light eating.

Greasy spoon

/ግሪዚ ስፑን/

ርካሽና ቅባት የበዛበት ምግብ ቤት

A small, cheap restaurant that serves greasy food

ቅባት የበዛባቸው ምግቦችን የሚሸጥ ርካሽ ምግብ ቤት

In Practice

"They serve the best breakfast at that greasy spoon."

"It's just a greasy spoon, but it's cheap."

Fluent Tip

Often used affectionately for diners.

Brew

/ብሩ/

ቢራ ወይም ቡና

Slang for a beer or sometimes coffee/tea

ለቢራ ወይም ለቡና/ሻይ የሚያገለግል ቃል

In Practice

"Let's grab a cold brew at the bar."

"I need a fresh brew of coffee."

Fluent Tip

Context-dependent slang for beverages.

Sammie

/ሳሚ/

ሳንድዊች

Slang for a sandwich

ለሳንድዊች አጭር መጠሪያ

In Practice

"I brought a chicken sammie for lunch."

"Do you want a turkey sammie?"

Fluent Tip

Casual and playful slang.

Fodder

/ፎደር/

ምግብ

Refers to food (originally for livestock)

ምግብ (በቀልድ መልክ)

In Practice

"That pizza was good fodder for the group."

"We need some fodder before we start working."

Fluent Tip

Humorous or informal use for human food.

Veg out

/ቬጅ አውት/

ዘና ማለት

To relax and do nothing, often while eating

እየበሉ ዘና ማለት

In Practice

"I just want to order pizza and veg out."

"We spent the evening vegging out with takeaway."

Fluent Tip

Common when staying in to eat.

Happy hour

/ሃፒ አወር/

የቅናሽ ሰዓት

A period when drinks or food are sold at a lower price

መጠጥ ወይም ምግብ በቅናሽ የሚሸጥበት ሰዓት

In Practice

"Let's meet at the bar for happy hour."

"They have half-price appetizers during happy hour."

Fluent Tip

Specific time in bars and restaurants.

The usual

/ዘ ዩዧል/

የተለመደው

The dish or drink a person orders regularly

አንድ ሰው ዘወትር የሚያዘው ምግብ

In Practice

"I'll have the usual, please."

"The waiter already knows my usual."

Fluent Tip

Used by regular customers.

Keep the change

/ኪፕ ዘ ቼንጅ/

መልሱን ተወው

Telling the server to keep the remaining money as a tip

መልሱን ለራስህ ውሰደው ማለት

In Practice

"The bill was nine dollars; here is ten, keep the change."

"Keep the change, the service was great."

Fluent Tip

Said when paying the bill.

Check, please

/ቼክ ፕሊዝ/

ሂሳብ እባክህ

A request to the waiter to bring the bill

ሂሳብ እንዲመጣ የሚቀርብ ጥያቄ

In Practice

"We are finished; check, please!"

"Check, please, we have to go."

Fluent Tip

Standard way to ask for the bill.

To go or for here?

/ቱ ጎ ኦር ፎር ሂር?/

ይዘህ ለመሄድ ወይስ እዚህ ለመብላት?

Asking if the food is for takeaway or dining in

ምግቡ እዚህ ይበላል ወይስ ተጠቅልሎ ይወሰዳል?

In Practice

"Is that order to go or for here?"

"I'd like my burger to go, please."

Fluent Tip

Standard fast-food question.

Split the bill

/ስፕሊት ዘ ቢል/

ሂሳብ መጋራት

To divide the cost of the meal among everyone

የምግቡን ሂሳብ በሰው ቁጥር መከፋፈል

In Practice

"Let's split the bill evenly."

"Do you want to split the bill or pay separately?"

Fluent Tip

Common when dining with friends.

My treat

/ማይ ትሪት/

የእኔ ግብዣ

Expressing that you will pay for everyone

ሂሳቡን እኔ እከፍላለሁ ማለት

In Practice

"Put your wallet away; it's my treat."

"Lunch is my treat today."

Fluent Tip

Offering to pay for the meal.

I'm stuffed

/አይም ስታፍድ/

በጣም ጠግቤያለሁ

Being very full and unable to eat more

ከመጠን በላይ መጥገብ

In Practice

"I can't eat another bite; I'm stuffed."

"No dessert for me, I'm stuffed."

Fluent Tip

After finishing a large meal.

Side of...

/ሳይድ ኦፍ.../

ተጨማሪ...

A small portion of food served with the main dish

ከዋናው ምግብ ጋር የሚቀርብ ተጨማሪ ምግብ

In Practice

"I'll have the fish with a side of fries."

"Can I get a side of ranch dressing?"

Fluent Tip

Ordering extra items like fries or salad.

Easy on the...

/ኢዚ ኦን ዘ.../

...ቀንስልኝ

Requesting less of a certain ingredient

ከአንድ ነገር መጠኑ እንዲቀነስ መጠየቅ

In Practice

"Go easy on the onions in my burger."

"I want a salad, but easy on the dressing."

Fluent Tip

Specifying preferences in an order.

Seconds

/ሰከንድስ/

ድጋሚ ምግብ

A second serving of the same food

ለሁለተኛ ጊዜ የሚቀርብ ምግብ

In Practice

"This is delicious; can I have seconds?"

"He went back for seconds at the buffet."

Fluent Tip

Informal, usually at home or buffets.

Make it a meal

/ሜክ ኢት ኤ ሚል/

ሙሉ ምግብ አድርገው

Adding a side and drink to a main item in fast food

ከዋናው ምግብ ጋር መጠጥና ተጨማሪ መጨመር

In Practice

"I'll take the chicken sandwich and make it a meal."

"Would you like to make it a meal for two dollars more?"

Fluent Tip

Specific to fast-food combos.

Does it come with...?

/ዳዝ ኢት ካም ዊዝ...?/

ከ... ጋር ነው የሚመጣው?

Asking about the included sides of a dish

ምግቡ ከሌላ ነገር ጋር መካተቱን መጠየቅ

In Practice

"Does the steak come with a salad?"

"Does it come with fries or fruit?"

Fluent Tip

Clarifying menu details.

Piece of cake

/ፒስ ኦፍ ኬክ/

በጣም ቀላል

Something that is very easy to do

በጣም ቀላል የሆነ ነገር

In Practice

"Ordering on the app was a piece of cake."

"Getting the bill was a piece of cake."

Fluent Tip

Describing an easy process.

Food for thought

/ፉድ ፎር ዞት/

ሊታሰብበት የሚገባ ነገር

Something that provides mental stimulation

ለአእምሮ ስንቅ የሚሆን ሀሳብ

In Practice

"The menu's nutritional info gave me food for thought."

"His suggestion about the restaurant was food for thought."

Fluent Tip

Refers to interesting ideas.

In a pickle

/ኢን ኤ ፒክል/

አስቸጋሪ ሁኔታ ውስጥ

In a difficult or messy situation

በአስቸጋሪ ሁኔታ ውስጥ መሆን

In Practice

"I forgot my wallet at the restaurant; I'm in a pickle."

"We are in a pickle because the place is cash only."

Fluent Tip

Describes a small crisis.

Breadwinner

/ብሬድዊነር/

ቤተሰብ አስተዳዳሪ

The person who earns the money for a family

ቤተሰብን ለማስተዳደር ገንዘብ የሚያመጣ ሰው

In Practice

"He is the sole breadwinner in the house."

"She became the breadwinner after her promotion."

Fluent Tip

Refers to income and food security.

Sugar-coated

/ሹገር ኮትድ/

አጣፍጦ መናገር

Making something unpleasant sound better

መጥፎ ነገርን በጥሩ መልክ ማቅረብ

In Practice

"The waiter sugar-coated the long wait time."

"Don't sugar-coat the fact that the food was cold."

Fluent Tip

Describing communication.

Small fry

/ስሞል ፍራይ/

ተራ ነገር / ሰው

Something or someone insignificant

ጠቃሚ ያልሆነ ወይም ተራ ነገር

In Practice

"In this big city, that little cafe is just small fry."

"I'm just a small fry at this large company."

Fluent Tip

Used to minimize importance.

Top banana

/ቶፕ ባናና/

ዋናው ሰው

The most important person in an organization

በአንድ ቦታ ላይ ትልቁ ወይም ዋናው ሰው

In Practice

"Who is the top banana in this kitchen?"

"He wants to be the top banana of the restaurant chain."

Fluent Tip

Informal for a leader or boss.

Melting pot

/ሜልቲንግ ፖት/

የባህሎች መገናኛ

A place where different cultures and ideas mix

የተለያዩ ባህሎችና ሀሳቦች የሚቀላቀሉበት ቦታ

In Practice

"The food court is a melting pot of different cuisines."

"This city is a true melting pot."

Fluent Tip

Often describes food diversity.

Egg on your face

/ኢግ ኦን ዩር ፌስ/

መሸማቀቅ

To look foolish or be embarrassed

ሞኝ መስሎ መታየት ወይም መሸማቀቅ

In Practice

"He had egg on his face when his card was declined."

"The chef had egg on his face after the food critic complained."

Fluent Tip

When someone makes a public mistake.

Half-baked

/ሃፍ ቤክድ/

ያልተጠናቀቀ ሀሳብ

A plan or idea that hasn't been properly thought out

በደንብ ያልታሰበበት ሀሳብ

In Practice

"That was a half-baked plan to open a restaurant."

"The new menu seems half-baked."

Fluent Tip

Criticizing a lack of preparation.

Feast for the eyes

/ፊስት ፎር ዘ አይዝ/

ለዓይን የሚማርክ

Something that is visually very attractive

በጣም የሚያምርና ለዓይን የሚስብ

In Practice

"The way the chef plated the food was a feast for the eyes."

"The restaurant decor was a feast for the eyes."

Fluent Tip

Describing beautiful presentation.

Cream of the crop

/ክሪም ኦፍ ዘ ክሮፕ/

ከሁሉም ምርጥ

The very best of a group

ከአንድ ወገን በጣም ምርጥ የሆነው

In Practice

"This steak is the cream of the crop on the menu."

"That chef is the cream of the crop in the city."

Fluent Tip

Indicating high quality.

As hungry as a wolf

/አዝ ሀንገሪ አዝ ኤ ዎልፍ/

እንደ ተኩላ መራብ

Extremely hungry

በጣም መራብ

In Practice

"I haven't eaten all day; I'm as hungry as a wolf."

"The kids came home from soccer as hungry as wolves."

Fluent Tip

Emphasizing extreme hunger.

Cool as a cucumber

/ኩል አዝ ኤ ኪውከምበር/

በጣም የተረጋጋ

Very calm and composed, especially under pressure

በጣም የተረጋጋ ሰው

In Practice

"Even when the restaurant was busy, the waiter was cool as a cucumber."

"She stayed cool as a cucumber during the rush."

Fluent Tip

Describing a calm personality.

As easy as pie

/አዝ ኢዚ አዝ ፓይ/

በጣም ቀላል

Extremely easy

በጣም ቀላል የሆነ ነገር

In Practice

"Making this order was as easy as pie."

"Finding a seat was as easy as pie."

Fluent Tip

Common comparison for simplicity.

Flat as a pancake

/ፍላት አዝ ኤ ፓንኬክ/

በጣም ጠፍጣፋ

Completely flat

በጣም ጠፍጣፋ የሆነ

In Practice

"The burger patty was as flat as a pancake."

"My soda has gone flat as a pancake."

Fluent Tip

Physical description or about drinks (no bubbles).

As sweet as honey

/አዝ ስዊት አዝ ሀኒ/

እንደ ማር የሚጣፍጥ

Very sweet or very kind

በጣም ጣፋጭ ወይም በጣም ደግ

In Practice

"This dessert is as sweet as honey."

"Our server was as sweet as honey."

Fluent Tip

Can describe food or people.

Sells like hotcakes

/ሴልስ ላይክ ሆት ኬክስ/

እንደ ቆሎ መሸጥ

Sells very quickly and in large quantities

በፍጥነትና በብዛት የሚሸጥ

In Practice

"The new spicy burger sells like hotcakes."

"Takeaway orders are selling like hotcakes today."

Fluent Tip

Describing high demand.

As red as a beet

/አዝ ሬድ አዝ ኤ ቢት/

እንደ ቀይ ስር መቅላት

To have a very red face from embarrassment or heat

በመሸማቀቅ ወይም በሙቀት ፊት መቅላት

In Practice

"He turned as red as a beet when he spilled his drink."

"After eating the spicy wings, his face was as red as a beet."

Fluent Tip

Describes facial expressions.

As nutty as a fruitcake

/አዝ ናቲ አዝ ኤ ፍሩት ኬክ/

እብድ/ሞኝ

Crazy or very strange

እብድ ወይም በጣም እንግዳ የሆነ ሰው

In Practice

"That guy shouting in the food court is as nutty as a fruitcake."

"Her idea for a chocolate-onion burger is as nutty as a fruitcake."

Fluent Tip

Informal and humorous.

As thick as pea soup

/አዝ ዚክ አዝ ፒ ሱፕ/

በጣም ወፍራም

Very dense or thick (often describing fog or liquids)

በጣም ወፍራም ወይም ጥቅጥቅ ያለ

In Practice

"The gravy on these fries is as thick as pea soup."

"The air in the kitchen was as thick as pea soup."

Fluent Tip

Describing consistency.

As sour as a lemon

/አዝ ሳወር አዝ ኤ ሌመን/

እንደ ሎሚ የሚመጠጥ

Very sour or having a bad attitude

በጣም ጎምዛዛ ወይም መጥፎ ባህሪ ያለው

In Practice

"This lemonade is as sour as a lemon."

"The manager was as sour as a lemon today."

Fluent Tip

Describes taste or personality.

Like a kid in a candy store

/ላይክ ኤ ኪድ ኢን ኤ ካንዲ ስቶር/

በጣም መደሰት

Being very excited about many choices

በብዙ ምርጫዎች በጣም መደሰት

In Practice

"When I saw the dessert menu, I was like a kid in a candy store."

"He's like a kid in a candy store at the buffet."

Fluent Tip

Describing excitement.

As light as a feather

/አዝ ላይት አዝ ኤ ፌዘር/

እንደ ላባ የቀለለ

Very light in weight

በጣም ቀላል

In Practice

"This pastry is as light as a feather."

"The salad felt as light as a feather after that heavy meal."

Fluent Tip

Describing food texture.

Finger-licking good

/ፊንገር-ሊኪንግ ጉድ/

ጣቱን የሚያስቆረጥም

Food that tastes delicious

በጣም የሚጣፍጥ ምግብ

In Practice

"That fried chicken was finger-licking good."

"The BBQ ribs are finger-licking good."

Fluent Tip

Often used in food advertisements.

Wake up and smell the coffee

/ዌክ አፕ ኤንድ ስሜል ዘ ኮፊ/

ነቃ በል

Realize the truth about what is happening

እውነታውን ተረዳ

In Practice

"The prices are going up; wake up and smell the coffee."

"You can't eat fast food every day; wake up and smell the coffee."

Fluent Tip

A call to face reality.

Take it with a grain of salt

/ቴክ ኢት ዊዝ ኤ ግሬይን ኦፍ ሶልት/

በጥርጣሬ ማየት

Don't fully believe something you hear

አንድን ነገር ሙሉ በሙሉ አለማመን

In Practice

"Take the restaurant's claims with a grain of salt."

"I take his food reviews with a grain of salt."

Fluent Tip

Being skeptical.

Don't cry over spilled milk

/ዶንት ክራይ ኦቨር ስፒልድ ሚልክ/

ለፈሰሰ ወተት አታልቅስ

Don't worry about mistakes that cannot be fixed

በተበላሸ ነገር አትዘን

In Practice

"You dropped your fry, but don't cry over spilled milk."

"We missed the discount, but don't cry over spilled milk."

Fluent Tip

Encouraging someone to move on.

The best thing since sliced bread

/ዘ ቤስት ዚንግ ሲንስ ስላይስድ ብሬድ/

በጣም ጥሩ ግኝት

An excellent new invention or idea

በጣም ምርጥ የሆነ አዲስ ነገር

In Practice

"This online ordering system is the best thing since sliced bread."

"The new burger recipe is the best thing since sliced bread."

Fluent Tip

Expressing high praise.

Variety is the spice of life

/ቫራይቲ ኢዝ ዘ ስፓይስ ኦፍ ላይፍ/

ልዩነት ለህይወት ጣዕም ይሰጣል

Doing different things makes life interesting

የተለያዩ ነገሮችን ማድረግ ህይወትን ያጣፍጣል

In Practice

"I try a different menu item every time; variety is the spice of life."

"We visited three different joints; variety is the spice of life."

Fluent Tip

Justifying trying new things.

Service with a smile

/ሰርቪስ ዊዝ ኤ ስማይል/

በፈገግታ ማገልገል

Providing friendly customer service

ጥሩና ወዳጃዊ አገልግሎት መስጠት

In Practice

"The diner is famous for service with a smile."

"We always appreciate service with a smile."

Fluent Tip

Common restaurant motto.

Farm to table

/ፋርም ቱ ቴብል/

ከእርሻ ወደ ገበታ

Food that comes directly from a farm to the restaurant

ምግብ በቀጥታ ከእርሻ ወደ ምግብ ቤት መምጣቱን ይገልጻል

In Practice

"This restaurant focuses on farm to table ingredients."

"We love the fresh farm to table salad."

Fluent Tip

Describing fresh, local food.

Piece of the pie

/ፒስ ኦፍ ዘ ፓይ/

የድርሻውን ማግኘት

A share of something (money, profits, etc.)

የአንድ ነገር ድርሻ

In Practice

"The new manager wants his piece of the pie."

"Everyone wants a piece of the pie in the fast-food industry."

Fluent Tip

Refers to shares or benefits.

A taste of your own medicine

/ኤ ቴስት ኦፍ ዩር ኦውን ሜዲሲን/

የራስህ ስራ ሲመለስብህ

Getting the same bad treatment you gave someone else

ለሌላው ያደረግከው መጥፎ ነገር በአንተ ላይ ሲደርስ

In Practice

"The rude customer got a taste of his own medicine."

"He was served late, giving him a taste of his own medicine."

Fluent Tip

Refers to poetic justice.

Everything but the kitchen sink

/ኤቭሪዚንግ ባት ዘ ኪችን ሲንክ/

ሁሉንም ነገር መያዝ

Almost everything imaginable

ሊታሰብ የሚችልን ነገር ሁሉ ማካተት

In Practice

"This burger has everything but the kitchen sink on it."

"He ordered everything but the kitchen sink from the menu."

Fluent Tip

Describing something with many parts.

Last but not least

/ላስት ባት ኖት ሊስት/

መጨረሻ ቢሆንም ያላነሰ

Last in order but equal in importance

በመጨረሻ ቢጠቀስም አስፈላጊነቱ ያላነሰ

In Practice

"And last but not least, here is the bill."

"Last but not least, the dessert was excellent."

Fluent Tip

Introducing the final item in a list.