# "order in" or "order out"? [AE vs BE?]



## cheshire

(1) Let's order *in*. 
(2) Let's order *out*.

What's the difference?

A: I'm tired from working all day. Let's order *in/out*.
B: That's a good idea.


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## panjandrum

A blank look from me.
Order what?
I suspect from what you say that you are talking about food - could you confirm?


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## Dimcl

I'm having a pizza delivered to my house after a long day - I'm "ordering in".  The pizza itself is often referred to, colloquially, as "takeout" although to me, this is when I go to the pizza store and order a pizza "to go" and take it out (and home) with me.


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## cheshire

panjy, yes, it's about food delivered to your house. So you never say "Let's order out"?


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## JamesM

cheshire said:


> panjy, yes, it's about food delivered to your house. So you never say "Let's order out"?


 
Actually, quite a few people say, "Let's order out."  I usually say, "Let's order take-out," or "let's get take-out".  But I think "let's order in" and "let's order out" are equally popular.  I can't say who says what or why.


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## Dimcl

cheshire said:


> panjy, yes, it's about food delivered to your house. So you never say "Let's order out"?


 
I would never say "let's order out", Cheshire, but there are probably tens of thousands who would.  The only rationale I can see for this is that you usually telephone _*out* _to place the order.


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## cheshire

Thanks!
I think it's not far from California to British Columbia, but you'd never say "Let's order out."! It's interesting.


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## panjandrum

cheshire said:
			
		

> panjy, yes, it's about food delivered to your house. So you never say "Let's order out"?


As you may have guessed from my confusion, order in/out is not at all familiar to me.
Let's get a takeaway.
See also carry out/take out restaurants


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## JamesM

"Let's order in" is also heard in films when someone suggests ordering room service.  I don't know if they're related, but I thought I'd mention it.


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## Hockey13

Let's order out is the only form I've ever heard. To me it means "let's get food delivered" and it is common in California and New York...I can't vouch for everywhere inbetween.


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## suzzzenn

"Let's order out" sounds natural here.


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## JediMaster

suzzzenn said:


> "Let's order out" sounds natural here.



Same here.  "Let's order in" sounds odd to me, but the meaning still gets across.  I'm from California, if that makes any difference.


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## JamesM

Hockey13 said:


> Let's order out is the only form I've ever heard. To me it means "let's get food delivered" and it is common in California and New York...I can't vouch for everywhere inbetween.


 
Funny you should say New York... I definitely got the impression that "let's order in" was an NYC thing.  I found several examples in Google and several of them were from NYC contexts:


Or "Listen, _tomorrow_ we declare Chapter 11 -- _today,_ let's order in some Chinese." 

Larry is next to break the silence. "I don't know what color I'm wearing, either! I agree this is a dumb game! I might have a green cap, but I'd never know it! Let's order in some pizza and play poker!"
 
Congressional debate about passing bills -- who cares already? Let's order in a pizza and read Dune.'" 

Then Park Slope—I wouldn't compare it to surburbia, but you do get that comfort thing of what's on HBO, *let's order in*. 


That being said, I called my dyed-in-the-wool New York friend (despite the fact that she's lived in California for 25 years now) and she said that she thought "let's order in" sounded odd.  When I mentioned movies and room service, she thought that made sense, but otherwise it was unfamiliar to her.

Who knows?  I wonder if we have any NYC people on here that recognize "let's order in."


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## Hockey13

I'm from northern Jersey (about a 5-minute drive from NYC), so to avoid confusion, I just like to tell people I'm from NYC. Let's order in might sound right at times (though I can't at the moment imagine a context), but I don't think you'd want add "let's order in Chinese." It would make more sense _to me_ to say "let's order Chinese for delivery." Let's order out/in seems to be something you just say, and then after that the type of food is decided. I think...


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## SweetMommaSue

panjandrum said:


> As you may have guessed from my confusion, order in/out is not at all familiar to me.
> Let's get a takeaway.
> See also carry out/take out restaurants


Wow, panj! You've never heard of "ordering out"?! I've heard of carry out and take out; however, if at home, we generally say, "Let's order out. . . and get a pizza" or whatever food is decided on. I was born and raised in the Philly suburbs. "Order in" sounds a bit odd (to my ears), but it's understood. If I were staying at a hotel, I might be inclined to say it that way, but I'd be just as likely, or more so, to say, "Let's order room service." Of course, I, personally, have never heard of getting a "takeaway," though once again, I'd understand what was meant (and probably get a chuckle out of it).

So, there's another vote for "order out".

Smiles, 
Sweet Momma Sue


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## Hockey13

SweetMommaSue said:


> Of course, I, personally, have never heard of getting a "takeaway," though once again, I'd understand what was meant (and probably get a chuckle out of it).


 
You might be surprised to find that most of Europe uses the phrase "takeaway" instead of the American "takeout" when they're translating into English. I know I was when I was in Europe. When I was in Italy learning Italian, I tried my hardest to speak Italian at eateries, but they gave up after a moment and just spoke English.

Them: Vai via?
Me: I...uh...Posso andare con il cibo fuori....
Them: Ah...takeaway or for here?
Me: Vado via.


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## Cagey

I am interested in the question of where these phrases are used.  Thus I am reviving the thread and have changed the title, in case anyone has anything to add on the subject.

I think I would say "order out" if I was phoning to place an order that I was going to pick up myself, and "order in" if I wanted it delivered to me.  However, I don't consider myself a reliable source, as I rarely do either.


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## panjandrum

I'm not absolutely sure that I am answering Cagey's question because I don't think folk in my part of the world use either "order in" or "order out".

Fancy a takeaway?

What's for dinner? 
Let's just have a takeaway.

What do you want, <list of options>?
Are you going to get it or should we just phone?

We _phone for a takeaway_, to be very general.
Much more likely we _phone for a pizza_, _phone for a Chinese_, _phone for an Indian_, _phone for a curry_. Perhaps surprisingly, I would not phone for fish'n chips.  I don't know any genuine chippies that deliver.


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## ewie

panjandrum said:


> I'm not _[...]_ chippies that deliver.


Ditto


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## timpeac

Yes, I agree with the British definitions above. A takeaway can be delivered or picked up - but it's still a takeaway. I seem to remember that the Scottish say "carry out" - not sure if they say that if it is also delivered.


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## panjandrum

timpeac said:


> Yes, I agree with the British definitions above. A takeaway can be delivered or picked up - but it's still a takeaway. I seem to remember that the Scottish say "carry out" - not sure if they say that if it is also delivered.


From another thread, in Belfast, a carry-out comes from an offie:
Many of us would enjoy a carryout along with the takeaway.  The carryout  is to alcohol what the takeaway is to food.  So you collect your  carryout from an off-licence, a supermarket or a wine shop (places that I  believe are known to colonials as  "liquor stores").​It's a touch tangential, but it is a mystery to me why I can have all kinds of stuff delivered EXCEPT fish'n chips or any of the other stuff that is typically served with chips.
(BE chips = AE fries)


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## JamesM

Could it be that fried food has a short half-life?   Sometimes our pizzas arrive tepid.  I can't imagine fish and chips in the same condition.


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## timpeac

panjandrum said:


> From another thread, in Belfast, a carry-out comes from an offie


I don't think we have a word for this - at best we'd say "let's get some beers in". 

I won't rub salt and vinegar in the wound by telling you that my local chippie _does_ deliver - and they deliver alcohol too.


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## panjandrum

JamesM said:


> Could it be that fried food has a short half-life?   Sometimes our pizzas arrive tepid.  I can't imagine fish and chips in the same condition.


That's a very good suggestion.
The stuff that is available on delivery is usually acceptable after a 20 minute delay in an insulated container.  If necessary, it can be jizzed up by microwave or hot oven.
The fried stuff is a different kettle of fish.  Battered cod, in particular, is revolting if microwaved and overcooked if re-ovened.


timpeac said:


> ... my local chippie _does_ deliver - and  they deliver alcohol too.


Green with envy.


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## Zin-Zeta

It's "order in."  Plain and simple.  Short for "_let's order_ food to come _in_ to our home."


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## sound shift

panjandrum said:


> I'm not absolutely sure that I am answering Cagey's question because I don't think folk in my part of the world use either "order in" or "order out".


I'm across the water from your part of the world, but I certainly haven't come across "order in" or "order out" here.


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## JamesM

Zin-Zeta said:


> It's "order in."  Plain and simple.  Short for "_let's order_ food to come _in_ to our home."



I think it's just a different mindset for the other expression.  You go _in_to the restaurant to eat there, but you order _out_ to eat the food outside of the restaurant.  It could be at home or elsewhere (picnic, friend's house, school party).


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## Ashraful Haque

Wow this thread is confusing. I only have two questions about where to put the *name of the food* you're ordering.
1) I'm ordering in *a* *pizza*./ Order in *a burger* for me please.
2) Let's have pizza takeout for dinner?


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## kentix

_Let's order a pizza._

That covers it where I live.

No in, no out, no takeaway, no takeout.


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## Ashraful Haque

kentix said:


> _Let's order a pizza._
> 
> That covers it where I live.
> 
> No in, no out, no takeaway, no takeout.


Wow! People where you live definitely prefer keeping things simple.
So I can simply say things like:
1) "Hey you want to order Chinese tonight?"
2) "I'm ordering Burger. You want one?"
3) "Let's not cook tonight. Let's order something."


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## london calling

Your sentences aren't correct (and we're not allowed to rewrite them), except no. 3,  but basically, yes. It's as simple as that.


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## kentix

I think 3 is good.


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## london calling

kentix said:


> I think 3 is good.


Sorry, you're right. I'll edit my post.


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## dojibear

Where I've lived, you need to add a word:

3) "Let's not cook tonight. Let's order something *delivered*."
3) "Let's not cook tonight. Let's have something *delivered*."

"Let's not cook tonight" means "let's have a restaurant prepare our meal". It doesn't say where we eat. If we eat at home, it doesn't say who brings it to our home. 

You can "order" meals prepared in person at the restaurant, or over the phone. Many restaurants let you "order" something on the phone, then *you* go there and pick it up, already cooked and packaged to "take home". They don't have employees deliver the food to your home.

"Delivered" means it is brought to your home by a restaurant employee, rather than you driving to the restaurant to bring the food home.


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## Ashraful Haque

dojibear said:


> Where I've lived, you need to add a word:
> 
> 3) "Let's not cook tonight. Let's order something *delivered*."
> 3) "Let's not cook tonight. Let's have something *delivered*."
> 
> "Let's not cook tonight" means "let's have a restaurant prepare our meal". It doesn't say where we eat. If we eat at home, it doesn't say who brings it to our home.
> 
> You can "order" meals prepared in person at the restaurant, or over the phone. Many restaurants let you "order" something on the phone, then *you* go there and pick it up, already cooked and packaged to "take home". They don't have employees deliver the food to your home.
> 
> "Delivered" means it is brought to your home by a restaurant employee, rather than you driving to the restaurant to bring the food home.


Wow this is very different than post  #29 . Both of you guys are from the US if I'm not mistaken. So which one should a non-native speaker stick to so that he sounds as natural as possible?


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## kentix

I'm sticking with what I said. Although it's not wrong to say more, it's generally unnecessary.

Say you have been working on a long project all afternoon with some people. It usually starts out with someone saying something like, "Are you hungry? Do you want to order a pizza?"

"Sure. Sounds good."

The deal is done. The rest is just details - where to order from and what toppings to get.

Added:
You can even say "Do you want to get a pizza?" That's sufficient detail in that context for people to know you are interested in ordering one.


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## dojibear

When there is context (and there usually is) you can leave out things. Post #36 shows a good example. Everyone is still busy working. They all want to continue working. In that context, a suggestion to "order food" implies "order having food delivered here, while we work". 

Here is an opposite example. Last time I visited my daughter, she asked "Shall we order Chinese?". We did. But the nearby restaurant (their favorite) doesn't have a "delivery service". You can phone them and they will have your food cooked and packaged, but you have to go there to pick it up. Then you take it home and eat it. The Chinese restaurant near my house is similar. 

There is no fixed rule, but pizza restaurants have home delivery more often than other restaurants.


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## london calling

dojibear said:


> Where I've lived, you need to add a word:
> 
> 3) "Let's not cook tonight. Let's order something *delivered*."


Interesting. 😊We don't say that in BE.


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## ewie

We (Britishpersons) often don't feel any need to mention ordering, in or out, phoning, sending, delivering ... any of that stuff.
I imagine the average Americanperson might find the following conversation a bit weird:

*A:* _Hungry?_
*B:*_ Not half._
*A: *_Fancy an Indian? / Fancy a Chinese?_

Indian and Chinese takeaway meals are so ubiquitous and of such long-standing in this country that you can refer to them as _an Indian_ and _a Chinese_ without fear of being misunderstood. In fact I've even heard jokes based on the ambiguity between _an Indian_ [= 'an Indian takeaway meal'] and _an Indian_ [= 'a person from India'].


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## london calling

Reininds me of the famous sketch from 'Goodness Gracious Me' when the Indian actors were talking about 'going out for an English'. 🤣


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## ewie

_"I want something really really bland ~ I like a challenge ..."_


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## Ashraful Haque

1) "Hey you want to order Chinese tonight?"
2) "I'm ordering Burger. You want one?"
3) "Let's not cook tonight. Let's order something."



london calling said:


> Your sentences aren't correct (and we're not allowed to rewrite them), except no. 3,  but basically, yes. It's as simple as that.


After going through post #36  I cant figure out why my sentences aren't correct?


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