Re: how to catch BMW

[Phil@sievers.com (Phil Payne)]

In message <199704051355.AA27873@interlock.ans.net> Dan Simoes writes:

> The Travlang page on the web (www.travlang.com I think)
> where you can click on an english word and hear and read
> its German equivalent.  Here you will learn the only
> three words you will need in Germany:
>
> "eine" (one)
> "bier" (beer)
> "bitte" (please)

Almost.  Beer is neuter - Das Bier, so it's "Ein Bier bitte".

You won't usually have to say anything at all - any waiter worth his
job will greet any male visiting a bar with: "Guten [whatever].  Bier?"

In most of Germany, they will then politely offer you another if they
see your glass emptying.  They don't do this in Duesseldorf, however -
they just bring you another one anyway and you signal when you're done
by putting the beermat on top of the glass.  They will always pick
a member of the party and mark how many beers have been delivered to
the table by writing crosses on the mat.  Mats with a _LOT_ of crosses
on them are sometimes prized as trophies.  Standards are high, however,
so don't expect to impress any Germans if you can still make out what
your mat originally said.

--
 Phil Payne

 Phone: +44 385302803  Fax: +44 1536723021  CIS: 100012,1660