MARY. Yes, Mother dear. What must I buy?

MOTHER. Make a list of the things. First you drop in to Barker’s, the butcher’s, and buy some beef.

MARY. How much beef, Mother?

MOTHER. Well, let it be 2 or 3 pounds, but see that it is fat. The last time I was there he managed to wrap up a joint which happened to be very lean. If he plays such a trick on me again, I’ll never buy at his shop any more. That done, you go over to the greengrocer’s.

MARY. To Adam’s, ma?

MOTHER. No, better go over to Grossman, he is also a fruiterer. Buy 6 pounds of potatoes, I think six will do, and a good-sized cabbage.

MARY. Any beans, Mother dear? I like them very much.

MOTHER. Yes, buy 2 pounds of them. Now, we will need nuts and apples.

MARY. What sort, Mother? Cooking apples or for eating?

MOTHER. Buy 2 pounds of each. Put down a pound of mixed nuts and a dozen oranges as well. From the greengrocer’s you turn in to the baker’s, it’ll be on your way to the grocer’s. Pay Mr. Butler for the bread that we have had — two brown loaves, two white loaves and six rolls, it seems.

MARY. Isn’t it eight, Mother dear? You have forgotten that —. MOTHER. Yes, so it is. So at Butler’s buy one loaf of bread and —.

MARY. White, mamma?

MOTHER. Yes, — a dozen fancy cakes, and one pound of fruit cake. That’ll be all there. Before going along to the grocer’s shop call (round) at the dairy and pay our bill for the milk, one pint daily, and the dozen eggs that were sent to our flat last week.

MARY. Shan’t we need some extra milk today, mamma?

MOTHER. Yes, I think we shall. Don’t forget to take the milk-can. A pint and a half will do, I suppose. At the grocer’s buy a pound of fresh butter, a pound of bacon, but not too fat. You watch Mr. Carter closely or you will be cheated — he’ll give you it all fat. You might as well buy the sweets at his shop — a pound of caramels and a pound of chocolate with nut filling.

MARY. What kind of caramels, mamma?

MOTHER. At a shilling a pound. Well, get the shopping basket ready. Now where is that boy? You can never find him when he is wanted. Tom!

MARY. No need to call him, mamma. He’s out in the street. Give me the money, please.

3.      MARKETING

VERA. Good morning, Nina!

NINA. Oh, that’s you, Vera! How nice that you have come.

VERA. 1 haven’t seen you of late so I thought I’d —.

NINA. I say, Vera, have you time to go with me to the market? Ma feels unwell and she wants me to do the shopping.

VERA. Why, yes! I am quite free.

NINA. Just wait a minute while I get the bag ready. Where can it be, I wonder? 1’11 go and ask —.

VERA. It cannot be in the larder, Nina, can it?

NINA. Of course, it must be there. (Comes back with the bag.) Well, let’s go.

VERA. Have you taken the money?

NINA. Oh, what a silly I am! Going to the market without a rouble in my pocket. Nice, indeed! (Goes out and shortly comes back.) Well, seems to be all. Come on.

(At the market.)

VERA. What do you want to buy?

NINA. Some meat, eggs, vegetables and some berries.

VERA. Are berries in season now?

NINA. They are. Now, what shall we buy first? Vegetables?

VERA. I think so. Where do they deal in vegetables?

NINA. I don’t know. This is the first time I’m out marketing. Over there is seems.

VERA. Say, Nina, let’s go over to that woman over there. See what a wealth of vegetables she has.

NINA (to the saleswoman). How do you sell the cabbage, by the head or by the kilo?

SALESWOMAN. By the head. Here is a nice head, young lady.

NINA. Show me that nicely trimmed one over there, please.

SALESWOMAN. Here you are. See how firm it is.

NINA. Yes, I shall take it.

SALESWOMAN. What else would you like?

NINA. A bunch of carrots, please. No, those are overgrown. Give me the bunch next to it. Yes, that one.

SALESWOMAN. What else, young lady?

NINA. Now pick out ten cucumbers, please.

SALESWOMAN. Here, please. Right from the garden. Some onions?

NINA. Yes. How do you sell them?

SALESWOMAN. These — by the ten, and these of (the) smaller size — by the kilo.

NINA. I’ll take ten of these.

SALESWOMAN. Here’s a couple of small ones into the bargain. You are one of my best customers. Vegetables sell badly today.

NINA. What does it come up to?

SALESWOMAN. Now, let me see. A cabbage, that’s fifteen, a bunch of carrots — ... roubles, please.

NINA. Here you are. Thank you.

4.      MONEY

English Money (before 1971)¹

The British system of money is rather difficult. The Bank of England issues silver and copper coins, and banknotes, that is, paper money; gold coins, which were formerly issued, are not in circulation now. Pound sterlings, shillings and pence are used in England.

The copper coins are the penny (1 d) twelve of which make a shilling, the halfpenny (| d) ['heipm] and the farthing (0.25 d).

The silver coins are the shilling (1 s; 1/-) twenty of which make a pound, the two-shilling piece (2 s; 2/-), the half-crown (2 s. 6 d; 2/6) worth two shillings sixpence, the sixpence (6 d) and the threepenny piece (3 d). A new threepenny piece has recently been coined. It is made of a mixture of copper and brass, and it is not round like the other coins, but twelve-sided.

The pound sterling (£ 1) is generally met in the form of the pound note which can be changed for two ten-shilling notes.

In addition to the £ 1 and 10 s. notes there are also banknotes of £ 5, £ 10, £ 20 and of larger denominations.

Note: Twopence is usully pronounced ['txpans], three halfpence (or a penny-halfpenny) — ['0ri:'heipans] and threepence ['0ri:pam].

American Money

The American unit is the dollar ($). In the dollar there are 100 cents (ф). A 5-cent coin is called a “nickel”, and a 10-cent coin, a dime.

5.      WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

English weights and measures are even more confusing to a foreigner than money, but luckily you don’t need all those that are generally given in reference books. The essential ones are not more than eleven or twelve in number.

For general use the smallest weight is 1 ounce (written oz), and there are 16 ounces in a pound (written lb). The English buy sweets, tobacco, and sometimes cigarettes by the ounce while most groceries

¹ This text describes the old, non-decimal system which is no longer used in Britain. However, we continue to meet references to it in books published before 1971, or dealing with events prior to 1971. Later decimal currency was introduced with two units of currency — pounds (£) and pence (p).

or fruit, such as apples, pears, strawberries, by the pound, half-pound or quarter-pound (there are some kinds of fruit that are bought piecemeal).

Fourteen pounds is 1 stone. The English always give people’s weight in stones and pounds. For example, a man weighs 11 stone 9 lbs (not 163 lbs). 112 lbs make up 1 hundredweight (written cwt) and there are 20 hundredweights in a ton.

Liquids are measured in pints [paints], quarts and gallons. There are 2 pints in a quart and 4 quarts in a gallon.

Finally, for length the principal measurements are inches, feet, yards and miles. The easiest way to remember them, perhaps, is a little table like this:

12 inches (in) = 1 foot (ft)

3 feet       =      1 yard (yd)

1.760yards .... = lmile

Adapted from “Essential English for Foreign Students”by G. E. Eckersley

IX. Clothes. Dressmaking and Tailoring

1. THE SECRET OF BEING WELL-DRESSED

No matter how much or how little money you have to spend, never buy any new clothes before going through your existing wardrobe to see whether you need them or not. But your wardrobe ought to contain certain essentials, and if it does not, you must plan your whole dress budget to include them.