# How to order "water" in a restaurant



## JungKim

There must be a thread on this topic but somehow I haven't found one yet.

When you're asking for a glass/bottle of water in a restaurant, you ask:
(1) Can I have a water, please?
(2) Can I have a glass/bottle of water, please?
(3) Can I have some water, please?

Of course, (2) sounds fine. In an appropriate context, (3) is all right.
Is (1) a good alternative to (2)?


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## Keith Bradford

(1) isn't possible.  (3) is the most usual, after which the waiter will ask if you want bottled water, still or sparkling, etc.


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## Egmont

(1) is not correct. _Water_ is not a countable noun, so it should not have an article. However, you will often hear this construction in informal speech. "I'd like a beer" is common in the U.S., where the unit is understood: a glass for draft beer, otherwise a bottle or can. (A customer might specify the type of beer, as in "I'd like a Miller Lite.") That would not work in the U.K., where draft beer is served in pints and half-pints so "a beer" isn't specific enough. It's not just for beer: "I'd like a Coke," "I'd like an iced tea," "I'd like a lemonade," and so on are all heard. For some reason it sounds strange for water, though.


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## JungKim

So I take it that "water" is not used like other beverages on either side of the Atlantic.


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## london calling

And don't forget that if you don't want bottled water, you can always ask for tap water. 

_Can I have a jug of (tap) water, please?_


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## Sparky Malarky

I don't see anything wrong with (1).  True, water is a non-countable noun, but so is soda or beer.  You would ask for a soda or a beer, so I don't think it's wrong to ask for a [serving of] water.  

The difference is that most restaurants give you water -- ordinary water, not bottled water -- for free.  Some will charge you if that's all you are getting, of course, but usually a glass of tap water with your meal is free, and they refill it as much as necessary.  So most of the time we think of water as a kind of never-ending resource.  

You: I'll have the chicken and rice, please.
Waiter: And to drink?
You: Your house white wine.
Waiter: Would you like water as well?

You: I'll have the chicken and rice, please.
Waiter: And to drink?
You: I'll just have water.

So most of the time, we don't say "a water" in a restaurant.  

But sometimes we can!  If it's a hot day and you really only want a drink, you walk into a restaurant or, say, an ice cream shop:

Server:  What would you like?
You: Can I just get a water, please?


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## Parla

I'm with those who say that "a" water would be wrong. If I were in Sparky's shoes (see end of post #6) and had the naiveté or guts to walk into a restaurant and simply request water*, it would be _some_ water, not "a" water.

*I'd be laughed out of every such establishment I know, unless I was clearly ill or about to faint from the heat.


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## Myridon

Sparky Malarky said:


> I don't see anything wrong with (1).  True, water is a non-countable noun, but so is soda or beer.  You would ask for a soda or a beer, so I don't think it's wrong to ask for a [serving of] water.


I agree and I do it myself. Saturday morning, I told the waitress, "I'll have coffee and a water."


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## vivace160

Sparky Malarky said:


> I don't see anything wrong with (1).  True, water is a non-countable noun, but so is soda or beer.  You would ask for a soda or a beer, so I don't think it's wrong to ask for a [serving of] water.
> 
> The difference is that most restaurants give you water -- ordinary water, not bottled water -- for free. Some will charge you if that's all you are getting, of course, but usually a glass of tap water with your meal is free, and they refill it as much as necessary. So most of the time we think of water as a kind of never-ending resource.
> 
> You: I'll have the chicken and rice, please.
> Waiter: And to drink?
> You: Your house white wine.
> Waiter: Would you like water as well?
> 
> You: I'll have the chicken and rice, please.
> Waiter: And to drink?
> You: I'll just have water.
> 
> So most of the time, we don't say "a water" in a restaurant.



I agree with the first part as I use this very often. If I'm with three other people and we all want water, I'll even say, "We'd like four waters, please." It's no different than, "We'd like four sodas/coffees/beers, please." However, I would say that I use "I'd like a water, please." completely interchangeably with "I'd like water, please." even in restaurants where I personally don't make any distinction between whether it's tap, bottled, free, or I'm paying for it. I don't think of the source, I think of what it's being served to me in, which is countable, and therefore I find it perfectly acceptable to make water countable in cases like these. If I drink all my water, there's a 50/50 chance I'll make it countable again and say, "Can I have another water, please?" There's no rhyme or reason when it comes to whether I make it countable or not; it's just a matter of what ends up coming out of my mouth when I make the request, and I've never had anyone give me a strange look or tell me it's incorrect.


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## Sparky Malarky

Parla said:


> I'm with those who say that "a" water would be wrong. If I were in Sparky's shoes (see end of post #6) and had the naiveté or guts to walk into a restaurant and simply request water*, it would be _some_ water, not "a" water.
> 
> *I'd be laughed out of every such establishment I know, unless I was clearly ill or about to faint from the heat.



Either I have been unclear or people in New York are much ruder than here.  I've done this many times in my life and never been laughed at.  I'm not talking about sitting down at a table in a fancy place and ordering nothing but water.  I'm talking about going into a sandwich shop or some such place, walking up to the cashier and asking "could I just get a water to go?"


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## sdgraham

Just in case you haven't noticed from the above, this is one of those things that depends upon what kind of water you want and where you are, i.e. what country, what kind of restaurant, etc.

In other words, *context*.


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## m0nchichi

Myridon said:


> I agree and I do it myself. Saturday morning, I told the waitress, "I'll have coffee and a water."


 But you're from Texas, they have their own grammar  rules  

Fun aside, I ordered water yesterday and automatically said ' I'll get a water'  because in Germany it's normal that you get one glass at a time which you have to pay for. I'm really annoyed that I got that wrong and it led to more questions, e.g. what should I say when I just want to order juice?  Can I get orange juice please?  I'll get an orange juice? I have no idea and I want to know...grrr...


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## Copperknickers

Egmont said:


> (1) is not correct. _Water_ is not a countable noun, so it should not have an article. However, you will often hear this construction in informal speech. "I'd like a beer" is common in the U.S., where the unit is understood: a glass for draft beer, otherwise a bottle or can. (A customer might specify the type of beer, as in "I'd like a Miller Lite.") That would not work in the U.K., where draft beer is served in pints and half-pints so "a beer" isn't specific enough.



I can't imagine being anywhere where there is only one type of beer on offer, but that's the only reason 'a beer' isn't specific enough. Barmen/women generally assume you want a pint unless they are told otherwise. I would rarely specify 'a pint of [beer]', it would sound almost pleonastic.


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## RM1(SS)

m0nchichi said:


> Fun aside, I ordered water yesterday and automatically said ' I'll get a water'  because in Germany it's normal that you get one glass at a time which you have to pay for. I'm really annoyed that I got that wrong and it led to more questions, e.g. what should I say when I just want to order juice?  Can I get orange juice please?  I'll get an orange juice? I have no idea and I want to know...grrr...


"Orange juice, please."

"Can I get an orange juice?"
"No, that's not permitted.  I can get one for you, though."


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## suzi br

m0nchichi said:


> I ordered water yesterday and automatically said ' I'll get a water'  because in Germany it's normal that you get one glass at a time which you have to pay for. I'm really annoyed that I got that wrong and it led to more questions.



What do you mean? How did you get it wrong?  Some of us think "a water" is ok if you are buying a bottle of the stuff.
What do you mean by more questions? In the bar about the type of water or more questions about how to ask for drinks, generally?


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## fiercediva

Sparky Malarky said:


> Either I have been unclear or people in New York are much ruder than here.  I've done this many times in my life and never been laughed at.  I'm not talking about sitting down at a table in a fancy place and ordering nothing but water.  I'm talking about going into a sandwich shop or some such place, walking up to the cashier and asking "could I just get a water to go?"



Again, it's context. When asking for something free at a food establishment without making a purchase, especially in New York City where commercial rents are at an all-time high, it helps if the requester inspires sympathy - someone elderly, a pregnant woman, someone obviously in distress. Otherwise, in a sandwich shop, granting the request usually means handing out a free cup to draw the water from the same fountain that dispenses sodas and hoping that the person doesn't fill up with one of the other drinks for sale.


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## dojibear

m0nchichi, the way you order water or orange juice is the same as how you order thousands of other things. There isn't really any grammar question involved. In general, are you able to order food and beverages? If not, you need to find a tutorial about that.

Anything you order may cause the server to ask questions. That happens to all of us. Waiters expect to do it. Many things sold in restaurants have options to choose from, and they do not expect customers to know that restaurant's set of options.


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## m0nchichi

suzi br said:


> What do you mean? How did you get it wrong?  Some of us think "a water" is ok if you are buying a bottle of the stuff.
> What do you mean by more questions? In the bar about the type of water or more questions about how to ask for drinks, generally?


I just wanted water not a glass or bottle. The waiter got it but it led to more questions regarding me wanting to know more about ordering drinks. For example how do you order Juices?


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## RM1(SS)

"Orange juice, please."
"Tomato juice, please."
"Coffee, please."
"Diet Coke with no ice, please."
"Rum and Coke, please."


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## Englishmypassion

JungKim said:


> So I take it that "water" is not used like *other *beverages on either side of the Atlantic.




Your sentence suggests that water is also a beverage, which is not true -- "beverage", as defined by the OALD, means "any type of drink _except_ water".

That probably explains why it is not often treated differently from beverages in terms of countability.


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## Language Hound

m0nchichi said:


> ...I ordered water yesterday...I just wanted water not a glass or bottle. The waiter got it but it led to more questions regarding me wanting to know more about ordering drinks.


I don't understand.  If you didn't want a glass of water or a bottle of water, how did you want your water served--in a pitcher?
What did the waiter understand?


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## JungKim

Englishmypassion said:


> Your sentence suggests that water is also a beverage, which is not true -- "beverage", as defined by the OALD, means "any type of drink _except_ water".
> 
> That probably explains why it is not often treated differently from beverages in terms of countability.


Interesting point, I must say.

Simply out of curiosity, I looked up its etymology:


> mid-13c., from Anglo-French beverage, Old French bevrage, from Old French boivre "to drink" (Modern French boire; from Latin bibere "to imbibe;" see imbibe) + -age, suffix forming mass or abstract nouns (see -age).



Nowhere in the etymology is shown the reason why 'beverage' shouldn't include water. I mean, you can certainly "drink" water more than anything else. After all, the only ingredient of any beverage that is indispensable is water.

So I wonder where this definition excluding water came from.

Indeed, most dictionaries define 'beverage' as excluding water. But the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as simply "drinkable liquid", which should be able to include water itself.

So if you are aware of the reason why and when 'beverage' started to exclude water, please let me know.

On a side note, here's a couple of articles that seem to define it to be including water:
Why water is the best choice of beverage
Drink Water Until It Becomes Your Beverage of Choice


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## Andygc

It's odd that Oxford Dictionaries online excludes water from "beverage" but the OED does not. Those two link titles seem perfectly reasonable to me. Beverage isn't used much in daily life - I don't expect a waiter to ask "What beverage would you like?"

You pays your money and you takes your choice.


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## Englishmypassion

But I find the exclusion more logical/natural. 





Andygc said:


> You pay*s *your money and you take*s *your choice.



Typos?


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## Andygc

Englishmypassion said:


> Typos


No. A quotation from a cartoon in _Punch_ which was the origin of the phrase. There is a thread about it and its variant forms.


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## ewie

Andygc said:


> There is a thread about it and its variant forms.


You pays your money, you takes your choice/chance


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## suzi br

Englishmypassion said:


> Your sentence suggests that water is also a beverage, which is not true -- "beverage", as defined by the OALD, means "any type of drink _except_ water".
> 
> That probably explains why it is not often treated differently from beverages in terms of countability.



That dictionary is a bit extreme. Others,  like ours in here, use words like "usually except water" to keep the option open to include it in.  Big industries like Perrier are in the beverage industry. If it's been processed into a bottle it would class as a beverage, surely. 
Or boiled. People in my family routinely drink/order hot water and they ask for "*a* hot water" when asked what they want to drink!


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## Thomas Tompion

JungKim said:


> There must be a thread on this topic but somehow I haven't found one yet.
> 
> When you're asking for a glass/bottle of water in a restaurant, you ask:
> (1) Can I have a water, please?
> (2) Can I have a glass/bottle of water, please?
> (3) Can I have some water, please?
> 
> Of course, (2) sounds fine. In an appropriate context, (3) is all right.
> Is (1) a good alternative to (2)?


There are considerations of form as well as of language here, and a lot depends on what sort of restaurant you are in, and on restaurant etiquette in the country concerned.

Restaurants in France and the UK cannot usually bring themselves to charge for tap water, so waiters are encouraged to persuade customers to buy bottled water, which can be quite expensive (6 euros a litre in France is typical in a modest restaurant).

In blue-collar workers' restaurants in France a carafe of water is usually on the table, so there's no need to ask for it.

The correct way to ask, in English, for tap water could easily be, as you suggest, JungKim, _Can I have some water, please?_ or _Can I have a glass of water, please? _or _Can I have a jug of water, please? _in ascending order of boldness or bottle, in a smart establishment.  Like others I couldn't say _Can I have a water, please?_

Most top restaurants will serve you a jug of water without charging, and the use of the word _jug_ means that you don't want bottled water and you don't expect to be charged for the jug.

I often on hot days asked for a bowl of water for my dog, who sat quietly by me in some quite smart restaurants in France.  That was never a problem.  One two-michelin star restaurant amused me by putting ice in the water for the dog.

I never drink alcohol, so this is a question I often have to consider.  I was pleased when London tap water beat some expensive mineral waters in a blind tasting by people boasting the most refined palates. (Source)


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## Keith Bradford

I remain unconvinced.  That is to say, I don't deny that those of you who say "can I have a water?" are telling the truth, I just don't understand what you think you're going to get.  A glass of tap water?  A carafe of iced water?  A half-litre of Malvern water? A litre of San Pellegrino (best choice!)?  It's like asking for "a coffee" in a modern coffee house: you're wasting your breath because you'll then be expected to choose one of ten, and order it in Italian into the bargain.

(I'm reliably informed that here in France, cafés are obliged by law to serve bread and water free of charge to anyone who asks.  Certainly no waiter has ever tried to talk me out of tap-water.)


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## Myridon

Keith Bradford said:


> I remain unconvinced.  That is to say, I don't deny that those of you who say "can I have a water?" are telling the truth, I just don't understand what you think you're going to get.  A glass of tap water?  A carafe of iced water?  A half-litre of Malvern water? A litre of San Pellegrino (best choice!)?  It's like asking for "a coffee" in a modern coffee house: you're wasting your breath because you'll then be expected to choose one of ten, and order it in Italian into the bargain.


Many restaurants here still do not have any sort of bottled water, much less a wide selection of bottled waters.  When I was young, no restaurants offered bottled water.
When I was young, the server automatically brought glasses of iced tap water without asking before you ordered and then you ordered a beverage in addition. As a matter of course, you had two glasses of liquid in front of you while you ate. Some time back in the late 70s or 80s or 90s (I don't remember exactly), there was some sort of water crisis and restaurants started making you ask for water to make sure you really wanted it.  This led to people realizing that they could order a (free) water as a beverage so instead of having water AND a beverage. Many people now have water AS their beverage and don't have to pay for it.


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## Packard

I rarely order a beverage with a meal.   When the waiter says, "And to drink?"  I reply, "Just water please."

At which time they often ask if I want a slice of lemon or lime with the water.  So my phrase is almost always, "Just water".


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## 2PieRad

It really depends on where you are. 

In North America, many places will bring you a glass of tap water (or a pitcher with some cups) even before you ask or order anything. If not, if you say _some water_, they'll bring you a glass of tap water (or a pitcher with some cups for your entire party). It's expected that tap water comes free with your meal, without you really having to ask or push for it. But as a result, people often don't finish their water and a lot gets wasted.

In Europe, in my experience, if I say _some water_, the waiter will ask_ "still or sparkling?" _And I end up thinking _is tap water not drinkable here? What a waste of plastic bottles. I feel like such a poor person asking for tap water.
_
As for _*a* water_, I get the feeling that it's more acceptable when we're listing multiple things. As opposed to _a glass of water for me, a glass of orange juice for my son, and a glass of apple juice for my daughter please, _we opt for the lazier version when the context is clear that you're getting your drinks in a glass: _A water for me, an orange juice for my son, and an apple juice for my daughter please. 
_
But on its own, I'd still prefer _a glass of water/some water please. _


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## Juhasz

I order virtually everything in a restaurant with an article, either definite or indefinite.  Last night, out for dinner with my family, people ordered "the Mushroom Reuben," "the Seafood Verde," "the Boar Burger," "a regular burger," "a Mac and Jack's" and "a Troll Porter."*  Glasses of water were brought without us asking, but had we not received any, I might have asked for "a water, as well," or perhaps "water, as well."

"Could I have some water" would sound strange to me.  It makes me think that no specific amount of water was being requested and the server might come back with either a pitcher, or a teaspoon.

*The last two items were pints of beer.  I might have said "*the* Troll Porter," because it's the proper name of the specific beer, but could not have said "*the *Mac and Jack's" since Mac and Jack's is the name of the brewery.  I suppose I could have said "*the *African Amber," if this wasn't already implied (95% of the beer brewed by Mac and Jack's being their _African Amber_).


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## ewie

Juhasz said:


> the server might come back with [...] a teaspoon.


The (ahem) waiter might well do this in the UK ~ and then charge you £89.50 for it


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## jmichaelm

Copperknickers said:


> Barmen/women generally assume you want a pint unless they are told otherwise. I would rarely specify 'a pint of [beer]', it would sound almost pleonastic.



Many bars in the US server beer in glasses which are not pint glasses. I think this is promoted by beer connoisseurs (https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/101/glassware), but I also think smaller glasses mean greater profits. 

As to ordering water I would ask for "some water" or simply "water". However, if I was ordering for three people who all wanted water I would ask for "three waters".


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## m0nchichi

Language Hound said:


> I don't understand.  If you didn't want a glass of water or a bottle of water, how did you want your water served--in a pitcher?
> What did the waiter understand?


In the US people generally say, at least here in California, "Water,please." Or "I'll have some water" or "can I get water?. Almost everywhere you go they'll serve you a glass of tap water and refill it as often as you like.


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## Language Hound

I'm afraid I'm having some trouble understanding exactly what your issue is, Munchichi.
You said you told the waiter, _I'll get a water_ and then were really annoyed that you got that wrong.
You wrote that you just wanted water, not a glass or bottle.
But, in fact, based on your last post, it seems that you did want a glass of water.


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## m0nchichi

Language Hound said:


> I'm afraid I'm having some trouble understanding exactly what your issue is, Munchichi.
> You said you told the waiter, _I'll get a water_ and then were really annoyed that you got that wrong.
> You wrote that you just wanted water, not a glass or bottle.
> But, in fact, based on your last post, it seems that you did want a glass of water.



 I wanted a glass of water because water is usually served in a glass, except you specifically order a bottle of a specific brand or if you don't want to drink tap water. I thought it is wrong to make water countable because it is implied that 'I'll have some water' means 'a glass of water', so I was annoyed that I made it countable by saying 'I'll get a water'.


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## Language Hound

I see.  Thank you for the explanation.
As mentioned above, some native speakers would not consider "a water" a mistake.
Take the example of another non-count noun, "coffee."
It has now become so common to say "I'd like *a coffee*, please" when ordering coffee.
I still don't say it myself, but I now cringe less than I used to when I hear it.
Just think of it as short for "I'll have *a (glass of) water" *or "I'll have *a (cup of) coffee."*


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## Keith Bradford

I'm still surprised that water is so scarce in some parts of America that they serve it one glass at a time. In a restaurant, *some water* for me = a bottle or a carafe of water, with the appropriate number of glasses.


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## Language Hound

Keith, it's not a question of scarcity anymore but rather one of culture or tradition.
I don't believe I've ever seen water served in a carafe in an American restaurant.
In the U.S., "*a water*" would be understood as either a glass or a bottle of water, not a pitcher of water.
My experience mirrors Myridon's: 





> Many restaurants here still do not have any sort of bottled water, much less a wide selection of bottled waters. When I was young, no restaurants offered bottled water.
> When I was young, the server automatically brought glasses of iced tap water without asking before you ordered and then you ordered a beverage in addition. As a matter of course, you had two glasses of liquid in front of you while you ate. Some time back in the late 70s or 80s or 90s (I don't remember exactly), there was some sort of water crisis and restaurants started making you ask for water to make sure you really wanted it. This led to people realizing that they could order a (free) water as a beverage so instead of having water AND a beverage. Many people now have water AS their beverage and don't have to pay for it.


To this I would add that many restaurants now are back to automatically serving patrons glasses of free (iced) water.  I would also add that it really wasn't until fairly recently (the 90s or so) that drinking water in more than relatively small quantities really caught on in the U.S. (In the mid-80s, when my European colleagues and I all had liter bottles of water on our desks, back in the U.S., cans of soda (Coke, Diet Pepsi, etc.) was what you would normally see on American workers' desks.)

Hoping my post won't be deleted as off-topic.  I'm just trying to explain why "a water" is not likely to be interpreted as "a pitcher of water" in a restaurant in the U.S.


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