Nov 4, 2013 10:11
10 yrs ago
4 viewers *
Finnish term
United Kingdom
Specialism: tourism, art, craft, culture
Native in: Finnish (Variant: Standard-Finland)
Works in: English to Finnish, Finnish to English
waiter or waitress
Finnish to English
Other
Food & Drink
How to get around using \
I'm translating a menu (Finnish-English) where there's a short sentence explaining that gluten-free food is also available, the customer just has to ask their waiter or waitress. It seems a bit awkward to say "your waiter or waitress". The translation agency person suggests using "the wait staff" instead, which to me sounds just as awkward. Is it better or can anyone think of a better way of putting it?
Proposed translations
(English)
| 5 | Waiter |
Hannele Marttila
|
| 4 -1 | server |
Desmond O'Rourke
|
Proposed translations
14 mins
Hannele Marttila
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in Finnish
&
English
United Kingdom
bilingual exp translator/writer
Native in: Finnish 
, English
Works in: Finnish to English, Danish to English, Swedish to English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Selected
Waiter
No menu in the UK will have "ask your water or waitress" and wait-staff is just absolutely out. Just use waiter, unless of course all the waiters in the restaurant are female...
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Note added at 17 mins (2013-11-04 10:29:44 GMT)
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If you really wanted to avoid waiter/waitress, you could always say "ask the staff"
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Note added at 26 mins (2013-11-04 10:38:20 GMT)
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Please use staff, not wait staff. The only staff obvious to be consulted are the waiters.
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Note added at 17 mins (2013-11-04 10:29:44 GMT)
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If you really wanted to avoid waiter/waitress, you could always say "ask the staff"
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Note added at 26 mins (2013-11-04 10:38:20 GMT)
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Please use staff, not wait staff. The only staff obvious to be consulted are the waiters.
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Spencer Allman
: just watier I would say
23 hrs
|
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Ask the staff, ask your waiter
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
-1
4 hrs
Desmond O'Rourke
United States
United States
Native in English
Works in field
United States
PROFESSIONAL JOBS PERSONALLY HANDLED
Native in: English 
Works in: Finnish to English, English to Finnish
Related KudoZ points
:
8
server
Waiters/waitresses are aptly called servers. They serve your food.
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Hannele Marttila
: Never so in the UK.... maybe in the States?
19 hrs
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Yes, server is the common term in the US... it is gender neutral
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| neutral |
Spencer Allman
: Not in the UK Desmond
7 days
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Good to know!
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Discussion