Bottomless
| (In the office, people are discussing where they should go for a meal)
A: | OK, everyone it's 6 o'clock, I'm done. I think it's time we go for dinner! |
| B: | I'm starving. Shall we go to Big Eaters? I love their salad—you can go bottomless. |
| C: | I'm not a salad person. How about some fish and chips? Happy Fisher offers bottomless chips. |
| D: | I suggest we go to Happy Chicken across the road. We can go bottomless with any soft drinks. I'm very thirsty. |
| A: | Do we know anywhere that we can go bottomless on the main course? |
| D: | Oh, that can only be your home! |
| Li: | Oh my God! Neil, what are you talking about? Are we really going 'bottomless' tonight? I'm afraid I can't go to the restaurant naked. |
| Neil: | Oh Li. You have misunderstood the word 'bottomless'. |
| Li: | Oh? What does it mean then? |
| Neil: | Here it simply means 'unlimited' or 'boundless'—you can have as much food or drink as you like for the same price. |
| Li: | Ah, it sounds like a buffet, doesn't it? You can eat as much as you like. Can I say 'I had a bottomless buffet'? |
| Neil: | No, it's not a term people say or use, mostly you see it only on the menu in a restaurant. |
| Li: | I have seen the word 'unlimited', but I've never seen the word 'bottomless'. |
| Neil: | Yes. They mean the same thing. Nowadays a lot of restaurants do this to attract customers, but the 'bottomless' only applies to soft drinks. Do you know why? |
| Li: | Because they are cheap! I guess no pubs in the whole of England would offer a bottomless service! |
| Neil: | Shame about that! However, there is another common expression you may come across: 'a bottomless pit'. Let's listen to some examples: |
| It's a poor country with a bottomless pit of debt. |
- Jack will eat any food that's left over. His stomach is a bottomless pit!
| Neil: | This expression is used to describe someone or something that always needs or wants more of whatever they are given, especially money. |
| Li: | I see. What a vivid expression! |
| Neil: | Finally the word 'bottomless' does have another meaning—not wearing trousers. |
| Li: | See, that's what I thought, going naked. Now that you have explained, I must not make the same mistakes again! Thanks Neil. |
| Neil: | You're welcome Li. For more idiomatic expressions just log onto bbclearningenglish.com. Bye! |
| Li: | Bye! |