Moral Maze – 3 Transcription and notes
Invited to dinner with friends whom we have known for many years, we arrived with flowers and a good bottle of white wine. As we all chatted in the kitchen, keeping our hostess company while she was putting the final touches to the dinner, she opened our gift of white wine and proceeded to pour most of it into her cooking pot. Should I have said something?
Notes
to have a whine about something – informal – is to complain feebly or petulantly about sth. Here the guest clearly wishes he had not given his friends quite such a decent bottle of wine, and feels a bit put out – informal – mildly offended!
to have some say about something – to have some control or influence over sth
Eg We don’t have any say (over) how the firm is run. or We don’t have much say in what food is ordered for the canteen.
to keep someone company – to spend time with someone to prevent them feeling lonely, isolated or bored
Eg Come and keep me company in the kitchen!
Go and keep Mrs Brown company until the ambulance arrives.
put the final touches to sth – complete last-minute details of sth