American plan
1
5.6
- noun
- US
:
plan americano
- Elsewhere around the lake, they constructed cottages for those desiring a greater measure of privacy than a hotel could provide, but the cottages were without kitchens, so all meals were taken on the American plan in the hotel's dining rooms.
- American plan—meals
- American plan, which included
Examples
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The resort's American plan made it convenient for guests, as they enjoyed a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner included in their stay.
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You see, out of season like this we operate on the modified American plan.
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Maybe they'll take 'the American plan' rate and just keep working on the problem until it becomes like the weather as a topic of conversation.
Blog text (23) -
- American plan.
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Many families prefer staying at hotels that offer the American plan, as it includes all meals during their vacation.
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When we booked our stay, we opted for the American plan to ensure we wouldn't have to find restaurants for every meal.
Synonyms
3
2.9
An arrangement where a hotel includes meals each day with the room price
A hotel offer that includes a room and some meals
How Inclusive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The parts 'American' (relating to the United States) and 'plan' (a pricing or service arrangement) signal that this is a named type of pricing arrangement, so learners can infer it's a specific kind of plan. However, the crucial detail that it conventionally means a room rate that includes three meals is a conventionalized hospitality term not predictable from the constituents alone. Therefore a B1 learner who knows the words would sense it's a special plan but would unlikely deduce the meals-included meaning without exposure.
Etymology
American plan comes from hotels in the United States that long ago charged one price for a room that 'included' three meals a day. That's why the American plan means a room rate that 'includes' breakfast, lunch and dinner.