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bill of fare

bill of fare

1 5.3
A list of dishes served at a restaurant
  • noun
  • /bɪl əv fɛr/
  • Archaic
translation icon : menú
  • Then I'm going to a swell cafe, order everything on the bill of fare… …and if it ain't just right, or maybe even if it is… …I'm gonna bawl the waiter out, take the whole thing back.
  • the bill of fare includes

Examples

  • After browsing the bill of fare, I decided to order the grilled salmon.

  • Waterloo pudding is one of our favorite desserts, and other British triumphs and glories adorn the bill of fare from time to time.

    Blog text (22)
  • Now, read me the bill of fare.

  • It's not my bill of fare.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • On the contrary, I just cannot find anything healthful on your bill of fare.

  • The bill of fare is seen by many as crucial to a diet for survival, while many others see it as toxic to the greatness of a nation.

    Academic text (1998)
  • The waiter provided us with the bill of fare so we could choose our meals.

  • The restaurant's bill of fare features a variety of vegetarian options.

Synonyms

menu
vsbill of fare
344 1.0

A list of food and drinks you can order at a restaurant

focuses on dishes served rather than beverages or drinks
carte
vsbill of fare
16 8.8

A list of dishes at a restaurant

is expressed using a different wording or label
carte du jour
vsbill of fare
8.7

A list of dishes a restaurant offers today

is the general list used across meals rather than the daily selection

Surface Forms

bill of fare singular
bills of fare plural

Morphology

bill + of + fare

The meaning 'menu' is directly derivable from combining 'bill' (a document or list) with 'of' and 'fare' (the food offered); the phrase literally denotes a document concerning the fare. This simple noun-of-noun compositional pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Bill of fare comes from old inns where the owner wrote a small paper, a bill, showing the food, the fare, that guests could choose. So the phrase literally meant a paper list of dishes and today 'bill of fare' simply means 'menu'.