Waiter's "Hope You Like The Food!" Crossword Clue

By: Five Letter Words | Last edited: May 05, 2025

Need help with the tricky "Waiter's "Hope you like the food!"" crossword clue from the May 05, 2025 New York Times Mini puzzle? We've pinpointed the exact 5-letter answer you're seeking. For a more engaging solving experience, we've developed interactive features to assist you. Explore our letter-by-letter reveal function to progressively discover the solution, or check out our thoughtfully curated hints—including helpful word patterns, similar clues with identical answers, or comprehensive explanations to guide your thinking. We've also made it convenient to navigate between related clues from the same puzzle, helping you solve multiple clues with ease. Ready to crack this restaurant phrase clue? Let's uncover the answer together!

Crossword Answer:

You can click on the ? tiles to reveal letter by letter before uncovering the full solution.

About This Clue

The May 05, 2025 New York Times Mini Crossword featured the clue "Waiter's "Hope you like the food!"" with the answer ENJOY. This clue references a common phrase used in the restaurant industry when servers present food to diners. When waiters deliver meals to a table, they often say something along the lines of "Enjoy your meal" or simply "Enjoy!" as a courteous way to wish diners a pleasant eating experience. This brief exchange has become a standard part of restaurant etiquette in many countries, particularly in North America and Europe. The clue asks solvers to think about what a waiter might say when hoping that customers will like their food, and the answer "ENJOY" perfectly captures this sentiment in a concise five-letter word.

Cultural and Linguistic Context

The phrase "Enjoy" or "Enjoy your meal" represents an interesting aspect of restaurant culture and service language. In French dining, servers often say "Bon appétit" (good appetite), which has been adopted internationally. In English-speaking countries, particularly in the United States, "Enjoy" has become the simplified, versatile equivalent. This linguistic evolution reflects broader cultural shifts in dining experiences. The word "enjoy" comes from Old French "enjoier" meaning "to give joy to" or "to enjoy," ultimately derived from Latin "gaudere" (to rejoice). In contemporary usage, it succinctly communicates both a wish for satisfaction and marks the transition from service to consumption. Restaurant service language includes many standardized phrases that facilitate smooth interactions between staff and patrons. These phrases often become so routine that both parties barely notice them, yet they fulfill important social functions—signaling transitions between stages of the meal, acknowledging the exchange of service, and maintaining a hospitable atmosphere. The prevalence of "Enjoy" in American restaurant service emerged strongly in the late 20th century, coinciding with the growth of casual dining establishments and a shift toward less formal dining experiences. In more formal fine dining settings, phrases might be more elaborate, but "Enjoy" has gained acceptance across nearly all tiers of restaurant service. Interestingly, some servers and food critics have debated the appropriateness of simply saying "Enjoy" versus more complete phrases like "Enjoy your meal," with purists sometimes considering the shortened version too informal. However, its widespread adoption suggests that most diners appreciate the sentiment regardless of its brevity.

NYT Mini Crossword Tips

When solving clues about common phrases or expressions like "Waiter's "Hope you like the food!"" in the NYT Mini Crossword, think about the standard language used in that specific context. Restaurant service has its own vocabulary of conventional phrases, and this clue asks you to identify one of them. For this particular clue, the quotation marks signal that you're looking for the actual word(s) a waiter might say, not a description of what they're doing. The phrase "Hope you like the food!" gives you a paraphrase of the sentiment, leading to the answer "ENJOY." When solving clues about occupational jargon or typical phrases: - Consider the most common expressions used in that specific context - Look for words that match the tone and purpose described in the clue - Pay attention to quotation marks, which often indicate verbal expressions - Think about abbreviated forms that people commonly use (like "Enjoy" instead of "Enjoy your meal") The NYT Mini Crossword frequently references everyday interactions and common phrases, so drawing on your experiences from daily life can be very helpful. Restaurant-related vocabulary appears regularly in crosswords because dining is a universal experience with rich, specialized language. Remember that the Mini format tends to favor more common, accessible answers over obscure ones, so when you're stuck, think of the most straightforward way to express the idea in the clue.

Related Crossword Answers

More Clues & Answers For The New York Times Mini (May 05, 2025)

ACROSS

• 1. Thinnest U.S. coins, at around 1/20th of an inch
• 6. "Sorry, already have plans"
• 7. Silent but deadly sort
• 8. George ___, pen name of the Victorian writer Mary Ann Evans
• 9. "That's great news!"

DOWN

• 1. Wine pairing?
• 2. In a chilly manner
• 3. Ending with klepto or ego
• 4. Waiter's "Hope you like the food!"
• 5. Batting average, e.g.