# No Smoking Please, or the Hostess without the Mostest **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 28, 2004, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-smoking-please-or-the-hostess-without-the-mostest/257339 "2004-07-28T23:04:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-smoking-please-or-the-hostess-without-the-mostest/257339/41 "2004-07-30T01:15:50Z")
Jeez, LARRY, did someone seat you in the smoking section and then extinguish their cig in your Cheerios? > [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > politely asked to be moved further **away from the smoking section**. She **moved us two tables away**. I, again politely, explained to her, that we didn’t want to be anywhere near smoking, as far away as possible. She became frustrated and **moved us two more tables away.** > > So, uh, do you usually employ simple adverbs like “away” in a manner that is totally contrary to their normal usage, and even inconsistent from sentence to sentence? The second definition of “away” at [Dictionary.com](http://Dictionary.com) is “At or to a distance in space or time.” “We asked to be moved away.” “She moved us away.” “She moved us further away.” This is not “totally contrary” to the normal usage of an adverb; the adverb properly modifies the verb “moved.” Nor is there any requirement in the English language that usage be “consistent” from sentence to sentence, so long as it is correct: “I stayed up _writing_ all night. I was a _writing_ machine, but my _writing_ isn’t very good.” Jeezamoe, it’s not a great rant, but OTOH it hardly merits a visit from the Grammar Police. ---
**Author:** ![drpepper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@drpepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drpepper)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-smoking-please-or-the-hostess-without-the-mostest/257339/42 "2004-07-30T01:40:50Z")
Have to agree with those who say you should have been more clear about your situation. You said yourself that, for whatever reason, you did _not mention your usual caveat about wishing to be “as far away as possible”_. Believe it or not, that hostess was not being intentionally dumb, rude, or whatever other ill-feelings you want to ascribe to her. So she didn’t move you far enough away for _your particular liking or need_ that night. So the fuck what? Suggest another table, it’s not incumbent upon the staff to fucking know the degree of dire aversion to cigarette smoke of every drone who walks in the door. It’s not like this is a big CONFLICT. It’s a simple matter polite give and take. No way would I have spoken to a manager about it. Make life worse for some schmuck just doing their job the best they can? No fucking way. Grow up. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-smoking-please-or-the-hostess-without-the-mostest/257339/43 "2004-07-30T03:37:59Z")
Oh for FUCKS sake people! The hostess was _never actually moving her away from the smoking section!!_ She was moving her DOWN the section, but in no distance, not one fucking _millimeter_ AWAY! Gah! Someone! Please! Draw a fucking diagram! ---
**Author:** ![drpepper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@drpepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drpepper)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-smoking-please-or-the-hostess-without-the-mostest/257339/44 "2004-07-30T04:41:14Z")
Yeah, I get it. She didn’t move her any further away. Really, _I get it._ Just seems kind of a petty gripe given the ease with which the situation could have been clarified, and wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-smoking-please-or-the-hostess-without-the-mostest/257339/45 "2004-07-30T04:54:45Z")
Maybe she was just in awe of the fact that this obviously dimwitted hostess didn’t understand the inital request of “farther _away from the non-smoking section_.” Really, when you imagine the actual scene in your mind, the hostess appears to be remarkably stupid. Should the customer really have to explain “no sweetheart, when I say farther _away_, I mean _in the opposite direction from the smoking section_” If I were the hostess, I wouldn’t be frustrated, I’d be embarassed that I acted like such a freaking dumbass. ---
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-smoking-please-or-the-hostess-without-the-mostest/257339/46 "2004-07-30T05:10:56Z")
I have no idea what the hostess’s situation, so I’m going to cut her a little slack. If she was maybe a little young, and especially if she was new to the job, she might have been trying to help the servers out, or she might have had a brain-fart on policy, or she might have just choked when the request came. You have to do a certain amount of juggling as a hostess, and sometimes you pull a massive boner. I know I’ve done it. It’s possible that she just flaked. Next time the situation comes around, don’t be too shy to point out a table that’s where you need to sit. And don’t forget to throw your disclaimer in, either. Tell her immediately, and she’ll hopefully do the best she can for you. If she doesn’t… well, then you’ll know she’s a shitty hostess. This could have been an honest fuckup. There’s not enough information to say for sure. And if she’s young, she’s probably not gonna get the “Ike and Tina” reference. I thought it was damn funny, though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-smoking-please-or-the-hostess-without-the-mostest/257339.md?page=2)