有人擇善固執，堅持正宗烹調，擁戴純正口味，所謂authentic flavour；有人愛嘗試中西合璧的fusion cuisine；有人具冒險精神，探幽覽勝，追求新鮮口味，to relish an adventurous palate of new flavour。中國菜法國菜混然天成，可以說是世界飲食文化雙絕。英國人以家中三餐為樂，所謂the three meals of the day .
A meal is an occasion when you eat, such as breakfast, lunch, or dinner。一日三餐，是早餐、午餐、晚餐。
英語中，每一餐都有獨立的特別名詞。
早餐在英文中是breakfast ，這是一個由兩個名詞break “破”和fast “齋”組合而成的複詞，而且帶有宗教意味：日落之後有不進食的“守夜齋”。西洋宗教習慣，一定要等到黎明之後才再吃東西，才break the fast.
午餐的叫法則有幾個：英國人稱午餐為luncheon，縮短稱lunch，以前也有人稱tiffin, 表示a small meal，而通稱晚餐為dinner；兩頓餐有輕有重，午餐吃得少lighter而晚餐吃得多heavier。美國人在較早一點的時代，也慣稱份量重的午餐為dinner，而進食份量較少的一頓晚餐，則改稱為supper。總的來說，份量最重的一餐用dinner' the main meal of the day, 一天的主餐。
Brunch是英文breakfast早餐與lunch午餐兩個名詞揉成的綜合體portmanteau word.
Meal time is the occasion of eating a meal進餐時間/吃飯時間。Out to meal 是出外用膳: He's out to lunch with a client。A meal outside指戶外進行的picnic or barbecue。 Make a meal of something 是小題大做，或者做事過於認真to spend too much time or effort doing something。Mealy-mouthed指說話拐彎抹角，言不由衷not willing or honest to speak in a direct and open way.
MEATY means containing a lot of meat 或者containing a lot of important ideas。A meaty lecture、meaty article、meaty story是內容充實的演講、文章、故事。
Meaty有好幾個口語化的用法 ：
例如a delicious meaty gravy contains a lot of meat含多肉的汁；a meaty taste帶肉香的口味；a meaty soup有很多肉的湯；meaty forearms肥碩的手臂are big and fat, with a lot of flesh; a meaty role指吃重或容易討好觀眾的角色 。
至於 MEAT IDIOMS，比較有趣的，有以下幾個 ：
1. dead meat倒大霉in serious trouble ：If anyone find out your mischief, you're dead meat如果有人發現你搗蛋，你可要倒大霉了。
2. the meat and potatoes最基本、最必要的部份 the basic matter of something; 例如a meat-and-potatoes argument：My father always is a meat-and-potatoes man. He likes simple things.
3. meat and drink讓人非常開心的事something that a person enjoys very much or is very interested in: Stories about the royal family are meat and drink to British journalists.
4. the real meat of the debate is the main and interesting part of it辯論中精彩的部份。
WHERE IS THE BEEF? 內涵何在？這句catchphrase流行說法源自美國總統選舉一位候選人之口，他質疑對手提出的競選口號和承諾，內容空洞，實質的東西欠奉。 This is a watchword is coined in the 1984 US presidential election campaign：Walter Mondale of the Democratic Party used 'Where's the beef?' to great effect in pointing out the inadequacies of his rivals' arguments and promises.
Beef about=大發牢騷，經常抱怨complain: 例如He is always beefing about the amount of work he has to do. What is his latest beef? 他最近在抱怨什麼？
Beef up增強 、擴大、加料 increase in size or amount or in strength: That sales manager told his salesman to beef up their sales.
牛肉Beef是高級西餐館桌上無處不在的佳餚，喜歡野味game的朋友，不妨試試別具風味的bison野水牛。兩種BISON: 北美野牛 American buffalo， 歐洲野牛 European wild ox，同樣好滋味，前者比一般牛肉BEEF少脂肪，多蛋白質，味道更濃更勁，可以說more robust in flavour, leaner, sweeter and healthier，既健康，又好味，值得向喜歡吃肉的朋友推薦。
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