Ah, the rich smell of fresh coffee! People who love the aromatic beverage flock to coffee houses to enjoy it. A coffee house may be as simple as a cozy room with big soft chairs, Wi-Fi and dozens of coffee drinks. Or it may be a place where baristas are coffee chefs and the roasting of beans a serious business. However one looks at it, coffee houses have drawn people for centuries like honey draws flies.
The first public coffee house dates back to 1475 in Constantinople, Turkey, today's Istanul. Coffee was very important to the culture at the time. A woman was allowed to divorce her husband if he did not keep the coffeepot full! Coffee houses arrived in Europe about 1650 and spread to England by 1652.
Some believe the word "tips" first entered the English language in an English coffee house. A jar on the counter had a sign that read "To Insure Prompt Service." Customers who put a coin in the jar were served more quickly.
Grammar Gym
How are you doing today, friends? Welcome to the Grammar Gym. My name is Liz. Let's have a look at today's grammar tip sentence. "However one looks at it, coffee houses draw people like honey does flies." This sentence just means coffees houses attract people just like honey attracts flies. Notice this sentence pattern,
[subject 1 + verb + object 1] like [subject 2] does [object 2].
This is a great sentence pattern to use when you want to talk about how a situation is much like another situation. What one subject does to an object is much like how another subject does to another object.
For example, we can say: Samantha loves shoes like a child does candy. Or: The sheriff hunts down criminals like a cat does mice.
If you turn to today's grammar tip section, you'll find more sentences there. And, that's it for today. This is Liz from the Grammar Gym. See you next time.
Info Cloud
In today’s lesson our author offers one explanation as to how the word “tip” entered the English language.
But notice how she wisely started the sentence: "Some belief…" This should be a clue to you, the reader, that what follows is not necessarily true.
Right, by using these words, the author is giving the reader freedom to disagree, which is good because I disagree.
I do, too. I was suspicious when I saw the word “insure,” I-N-S-U-R-E. It feels like it’s being forced to fit for the sake of the letter I.
Right. Clearly, the better choice is "ensure," E-N-S-U-R-E, which means to make certain something takes place, like good service.
OK. A second reason we disagree about this origin of “tips” is because the explanation would make tips a 17th-century acronym. And English acronyms didn't really come into existence until the 20th century.
Right. So we think the "To Insure Prompt Service" phrase is just a clever story to explain something we’re not 100 percent sure of.
Reminding us that no matter what the language, we should always read with a critical eye.
Because not everything that’s written is fact.
tips 小費的由來, 原來是一個 acronym 頭字語: To Insure Prompt Service
課文中說到 Some believe... 有些人認為...
insure 投保 / ensure 確保
acronym 20世紀才開始大量被運用, 課文中1652年有將近300年的差距,
所以 some believe 有些人認為不是小費由來的真正典故
acronym n.
/ˈækrəˌnɪm/
a word made up from the first letters of the name of something such as an organization. For example NATO is an acronym for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Language Lab
aromatic adj. 有香味的, 很香的 [aroma n. 香氣/ 重音在ma音節]
/ˌerəˈmætɪk/
- These aromatic herbs are good for your health.
- The aromatic beef not only smells good but also looks very tempting. 看起來也好好吃
beverage n.
a hot or cold drink
- All beverages served in the business class sector are free.
- Shirley is a minor, so she can only drink non-alcoholic beverages.
divorce v.
- The couple divorced only two years after they got married.
- Al and his wife got divorced last winter.
divorce n.
The nasty divorce not only hurt themselves, it also hurt their children.
cozy adj.
small, comfortable, and warm
barista n.
/bəˈri:stə/
someone whose job is to prepare coffee in a coffee bar
insure v.
to make (something) sure, certain, or safe : ensure
prompt adj. 立即的, 馬上的
/ˈprɑ:mpt/
done or given without delay
- Prompt replies are essential in customer service.
- A prompt reaction is necessary if you work in the ER.
- This tenant is always prompt with his payment.
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