"regular" is not a size....

[Jester]

With the whole dinner thing, I sometimes have breakfast for dinner. Then again, sometimes I have dinner for breakfast. Sometimes I have supper for brunch, and sometimes I have brunch for dessert. Sometimes I start out my brunch with dessert, slip in some breakfast, and for dessert I'll have supper. Then there are days when I'll have supper at breakfast time by eating lunch. Don't even ask me about the time I had a brunch supper for lunch at breakfast time with a dessert of brunch breakfast dinner.

Yeah, there's a reason a lot of people don't talk to me in the morning.

As for the whole "regular" thing, I get the same thing at work with "plain." As in, "I'll have a plain burger." Well, plain means different things to different people. To some people it means bread and meat only. To others, it means bread, meat and cheese. To still others it means no condiments, and still others it means no veggies. I have actually had people say "plain" and still have upwards of four items on the burger besides the bread and the meat.

I always ask what they mean by "plain." Because I'm a bartender, not a fucking mind reader.

[mikoyan29]

IF I remember correctly from my McDonalds days, they had regular, medium and large drinks. Apparently small is a no no. And there were regular and large fries (which is now the size for the medium fries). I've seen regular substituted for small at other places to. Which to me is stupid.

[Caractacus_Potts]

I've actually seen at least one FF place (I can't remember which one) that had "Regular, Medium, & Large" size drinks. Then there is the place up the street that has "Medium & Large" but no small.

During my tenure at McD's the owner decided that "small" was implying that we were providing an insufficient quantity so we were instructed, and signage was changed, that we no longer had any small sizes. We had regular, medium and large.

Since most people assume regular=medium we had a lot of unhappy customers (either unhappy because we DIDN'T clarify and the got a small instead of a medium or unhappy because we DID clarify and they felt all these silly questions were way too much effort for them).

[Automan Empire]

When I say "regular," I mean, at the menu board price without upsell.

Every fast food chain has their own nomenclature for the differing sizes. A lot of times they try to upsell you in a sneaky way, which is suck on the part of the corporation.

[Mystic]

Yep, blame this on super/up/biggy sizing. Regular has always meant whatever the size is without paying for the larger size.

[PatchO'Black]

Because I'm a bartender, not a fucking mind reader.

Hmmm...perhaps the problem does not lie in the fact that you lack the ability to read minds, but in the fact that they lack a mind for you to read?

[hinakiba777]

I always ask what they mean by "plain." Because I'm a bartender, not a fucking mind reader.

I remember I went to restaurant once and ordered a double cheese burger with no condiments, and the cashier said "So plain?" I could just imagine an SC ordering "plain" and just getting a burger without condiments, then screaming they wanted everything off EXCEPT the condiments!

[Caractacus_Potts]

I remember I went to restaurant once and ordered a double cheese burger with no condiments, and the cashier said "So plain?" I could just imagine an SC ordering "plain" and just getting a burger without condiments, then screaming they wanted everything off EXCEPT the condiments!

I ordered a hamburger at a restaurant with just ketchup. The waiter understood what I meant, the kitchen...not so much.

A food runner passed our table with a hamburger patty on a plate. My wife and I joked about crazy Atkins people and their no carb fixation. Then the food runner turned around and set the plate down in front of me.

Me to the food runner: (gestures at plate) Uhmm, I'm sorry but I thought these typically came with buns. I didn't know I had to specify that I wanted a bun with my hamburger??

[EricKei]

I have, on VERY rare occasions, seen people get burgers sans bun...but, in EVERY one of those occasions, they explicitly requested "no bun".

[Jester]

Hmmm...perhaps the problem does not lie in the fact that you lack the ability to read minds, but in the fact that they lack a mind for you to read?

That may well be, but it is a moot point, as whether or not they have a mind to read, I am still not a mind reader, so wouldn't be able to tell through that method.

I remember I went to restaurant once and ordered a double cheese burger with no condiments, and the cashier said "So plain?" I could just imagine an SC ordering "plain" and just getting a burger without condiments, then screaming they wanted everything off EXCEPT the condiments!

Oh, as I said, I have had some amusing conversations with people.

THEM: "I want [our main burger] plain."
ME: "So, nothing on it?"
THEM: "Nope."
ME: "So you don't want cheese?"
THEM: "Oh, no, I want cheese."
ME: "Bacon?"
THEM: "Oh, definitely bacon."
ME: "So you want just the burger, bun, bacon and cheese."
THEM: "Well, lettuce and tomato too."
ME: "So, in other words, not plain."
THEM: "Um....yeah."

I have to tell you, the above conversation is not nearly as rare as you would think it would or should be. Fairly regular.

I always always always always ALWAYS find out just what THEY mean by the word "plain." Because I often find out that they are using that word, but it does not mean what they think it means.

I have, on VERY rare occasions, seen people get burgers sans bun...but, in EVERY one of those occasions, they explicitly requested "no bun".

Actually, I quite often order my burgers like this, with no bun. And I have often had the server ask, "Oh, you're on the Atkins diet." Yes, I'm at the Atkins diet...which is why I'm also having mashed potatoes and beer with that bunless burger, genius.

That being said, I can't say what has happened when I've ordered a burger "plain" as that has never happened.

To be fair, though, if you order a burger with "just ketchup" or something along those lines, if they don't bring you a bun, they are following your instructions to the letter.

Ironically, ketchup is usually the only thing I ask them to keep off the burger.

[EricKei]

Ironically, ketchup is usually the only thing I ask them to keep off the burger.

I'm the opposite -- I usually ask for Ketchup Only (plus whatever's in the name -- if I ask for KO on a bacon cheeseburger, it had better have bacon and cheese on it when it gets to me >_> ...and ketchup )

[Jester]

You can have my ketchup. I have zero use for it.

[Captain Trips]

If you want ketchup (catsup?) on your burger, don't go to Lou's Lunch in New Haven Connecticut. That's where they invented the hamburger (seriously) and they haven't got a drop of ckaetschup in the place! Mustard yes, onions I think so - but no Heins, Del Monte, or whatever brand red sugary-vinegary sauce. (No buns, either. White bread toast.) And plain to them means meat on toast. Man, I wish I weren't on the opposite coast, I would sure love to try one!

This is what you can learn watching The Food Network!

[EricKei]

I have sometimes heard that many places 'up north' regard ketchup as the Anti-Condiment, and will be insulted if you even meekly request a packet. Oddly enough, there's no equivalent hatred for mustard (or what have you) down heah...tho most people around these parts mean Creole mustard when they ask for the stuff, not the neon-yellow variety.

[hinakiba777]

I usually stick to a bacon cheeseburger with just bacon and cheese. Once I went to Wendy's to get a Baconator and I got it with just bacon and cheese. The friend with me pointed out that the only other thing on the burger is mayo and ketchup. To which i responded; "First, it's my burger. Second; I'm allergic to mayo. Third; I have a weird ketchup phobia thing." All of these statements are true. If you ever want to know the root of my ketchup phobia just ask.