I experienced something close to communication breakdown when I visited a newly opened restaurant a few days ago. While ordering food, the server asked if it was ‘eating or takeout’ I wanted. I answered, ‘Takeaway,’ but she quickly reiterated ‘takeout’ in a manner that showed she was correcting me, while struggling to hide her disbelief that I did not know that ‘takeaway’ is wrong . At that point, I could only humbly smile and obey her with a nod. After all, whether it was takeout or takeaway, what was most important for me was getting out fast and devouring the rice alongside the tiny chicken I could afford.
However, what the lady did not realise is that I wasn’t wrong while she too was correct to an extent. Both expressions are okay when one means food bought in a restaurant and taken out to be eaten elsewhere. The difference is that ‘takeout’ is American while ‘takeaway’ is what obtains in British English. This means that the latter is even more correct in our circumstance since British English is what is adopted in Nigeria. So, that delicacy you buy at eateries and take out for patient demolition is a takeaway just as you should anticipate that some call it a takeout.
Note that, when used as a noun, each of the expressions is one word:
Simbi ate in the restaurant but I got a takeaway.
Simbi ate in the restaurant but I got a takeout.
As a verb, each is two words:
Simbi ate in the restaurant but I decided to take my food away.
Simbi ate in the restaurant but I decided to take out my food.
Also, while a food arena that offers takeaway services is also called a takeaway, both terms can mean something else in other contexts. For instance, a ‘takeaway’ from a lecture, sermon, conference etc. may mean salient points or ideas from it:
One takeaway from his presentation is that it is possible to remain in Nigeria and earn dollars like those who have migrated.
No. You simply order food in a restaurant. ‘For’ is redundant in the statement as you should treat ‘order’ in this situation the way you do request, demand, solicit and advocate:
I ordered for amala and ewedu. (Wrong)
I ordered amala and ewedu. (Correct)
My order for amala and ewedu made my girlfriend laugh at me. (Correct because ‘order’ is now used as a noun.)
The woman requested for my phone number. (Wrong)
The woman requested my phone number. (Correct)
The woman’s request for my phone number surprised me. (Correct. Hope you know why.)
Watch the spellings of the following restaurant-related words:
dessert ( as different from desert or dissert), restaurant (not resturant) and dining and wining – not dinnng and winning. Others are buffet, breakfast, supper, sugary, waitress and sandwich – not bufet, break fast, super, sugery, waiteress and sandwhich.
