How Well Do You Know Restaurant Lingo?

The "front of the house" is the area in which customers relax and eat. Positions such as server, busboy and bartender work in this area.

You can also use the term "86" when something needs to be thrown out because it may have gone bad. While "86" is widely used, there is no concrete history of where the term came from.

A deuce is a table that can seat up to two people, but can also be used for a single person. A manager always prefers to seat his single customers at a deuce because he'd prefer to save the bigger tables for bigger parties (three or more).

Customers are campers when they sit for far too long, which is typically considered to be an hour or more. Taking up a table for hours on end and not leaving a bigger tip than check percentage is basically taking money out of a server's pocket.

A hockey puck is a well-done hamburger that also tends to be less juicy. Of course, what is well-done for some may be burnt for others.

When food is killed or cremated, it is cooked very well-done. Cooking a hamburger to hockey puck status can be considered killing or cremating it.

The window is where cooked food sits before being taken by the server to the customer. The window is also the line that separates the servers from the cooks.

The "back of the house" is where the kitchen is in a restaurant. Some establishments can have a manager for both the "back of the house" and "front of the house."

While the window is heated, leaving food there for too long is bad. Not only will the food inevitably get cold, but sauces may develop into a solid layer and some items may become overly crisp or crunchy.

Freezers and refrigerators can both be considered walk-in boxes. Upkeep on walk-ins is extremely important, as all of the restaurant's perishables are stored there. You can find everything from french fries to steak in walk-in boxes.

A party is simply a group of customers who have come to the restaurant and are sitting together. Parties can be as small as two and as big as 30.

One of the worst feelings for a manager/owner is when one of his employees doesn't show up for work. Not only does it mean the staff is short for the night, but now the manager must also find a replacement.

When was the last time you went to a restaurant and thought about the dishwasher? Well, you should, because if you like eating off of clean plates and drinking out of clean cups, then you should probably appreciate the dishwasher more.

A server is slammed when he or she is very busy or overwhelmed, typically as a result of being sat multiple times at once. Being seated with a slammed server means a customer will be waiting a long time for everything from drinks to the food they ordered.

When serving alcoholic drinks, the "bev nap" or beverage napkin is usually placed underneath the glass. These napkins are normally found behind or on top of the bar.

The term "comp" comes from the word complementary, which is something given free of charge. A manager may do this to make up for a mistake at a table to keep the customer happy, or a manager may "comp" items for important or famous customers.

Restaurants are typically broken down into multiple shifts of a day, with morning/afternoon and night shifts. Any employee who works both shifts is considered to be working a "double."

The term "triple sat" refers to a scenario in which a server has three tables with people who arrived at the same time. The term "double sat" is also used when a server is sat two tables in a row; however being "double sat" isn't as daunting for a server as being "triple sat."

Servers pass the orders of the customers to the cooks via "dupes," which are typically carbon copies of orders. These traditional "dupes" aren't used as much nowadays as restaurants have moved to computer systems for ordering. Even so, the printed out tickets cooks get in the kitchen can still be called "dupes."

When a server brings food or a drink to a table, the server has "dropped" it to the customer. This term can also be used when cooks start to prepare and cook an order for the customer.

Expeditors are the last line of defense for orders going out correctly and on time. Not only does the expeditor organize orders and check them for accuracy, but a good expeditor will also put pressure on a server who is taking too long to pick up an order off the window.

The term "nuke it" comes from the belief that using the microwave releases radioactive energy. This has proven to be false, but the thing about not putting aluminum foil in there is very true.

A manager will tell his staff to "push" a particular menu item when he or she wants to get rid of the remaining stock of said item. The server is then expected to suggest the item to customers.

Servers make their living through tips, so it is vital customers don't "stiff" them. Busboys also typically get a percentage of a server's tips, so it has a chain effect. Only in extreme, catastrophic cases is it ok to not leave a server a tip.

"Sidework" is usually performed by staff who work in the front of the house. Servers are responsible for refilling shakers on their tables, amongst other things.

When a server "skates" on their sidework, another employee must pick up the slack and complete those tasks for them. It is considered quite disrespectful to do such a thing.

Every server has their own station in most restaurants. Some establishments use a rotation system for servers, however that can lead to a lot of complication and servers are usually less effective when having tables in two separate areas that are far away from one another.

"Still mooing" refers to a steak that is rare to very rare, and very undercooked. Aren't these people concerned about food-borne illness?

Managers will have servers try to "upsell" when they have different versions of the same item at different prices. This also benefits servers because the bigger the check, the bigger the tip.

It is especially important for serves to "turn tables" when there is a line of customers waiting for tables at the door. The faster servers can turn tables, the more money they will be able to make when the restaurant is full.

As petty as it may seem, "walking out" on a check is considered a crime. Allowing a customer to leave without paying is a systemic failure in a restaurant, from the server to the manager/owner.

"Shorting" is an extremely dirty method used by vendors to make extra money from restaurants for selling less product. If a vendor is caught shorting a restaurant, that establishment should immediately cut ties with the vendor. This also outlines the importance of restaurants checking incoming orders from vendors.

A manager will often encourage staff to "drop" checks when there is a line waiting at the door. This helps "turn tables" faster so customers don't have to wait too long.

This typically happens when burgers or steaks aren't cooked to the liking of a customer, whether it was the mistake of the kitchen or the customer not knowing how to order their meat.

Along with front and back of the house responsibilities, a manager must also take care of scheduling. Part of that responsibility is covering or filling in shifts when something unexpected happens with an employee. Having an employee cover someone else's shift can lead to that employee working a "double."