In the world of restaurant service, waiters and waitresses sling the lingo of their business nearly as often as the cooks sling grease. Perhaps you've even overheard a few snippets of conversation between servers and wondered, "Just what is that all about?"

The answer is simple: Time. Much like a secretary taking shorthand memos in a meeting, restaurant workers must abbreviate every message between each other in order to ensure fast customer service. And aside from all that, most of it is just really fun to say!

For the most part, restaurant lingo is nothing more than a shortened form of a longer word, especially when dealing with a food item. Baked potato, in turn, becomes Baker. Guacamole becomes Guac (gwahk). But then there are some slang terms with no obvious explanation, other than traditional usage - meanings long since lost to time.

Although many establishments may have their very own sayings, I have attempted to compile a short list of restaurant slang that is used across the board. Then, on your next trip out to eat, you may be able to surprise your server with a few key terms! Or, at the very least, find out why that steak is taking so darn long...

Server - The preferred term for "waiter" or "waitress". Ex. "Could you find my server, please?"

Top - The number in a dining party. Ex. An "eight top" is a dining party of eight. A "three top" is a party of three.

Deuce - A table with only two seating spaces. Ex. "Seat this two top at the deuce."

Station - The set number of tables waited on by a particular server.

Drop Check - Taking a guest's check to their table for payment.

Drop Food/Order - The moment at which the kitchen begins to prepare a guest's food. Ex. "Have you dropped 201's order?" - OR - The moment a server delivers an order to the customers. Hopefully never a literal statement!

Bev Nap - The little square paper napkin upon which rests a beverage.

Table Turn - Number of times a table has changed hands between customers. Ex. A customer sits down, eats and leaves. That is one turn. The next customer sits down, eats and leaves. That is the second turn. See a pattern emerging?

Stiffed - A customer leaves without tipping the server. Level of danger to the customer is dependant upon the mood of the server.

Walked - A customer leaves without paying the bill. Not recommended!

Fire - Order given by the server to the kitchen to begin preparation of certain orders. Ex. "Fire those fajitas!"

Window - Shelf, usually heated and connected to the kitchen, upon which the food is placed after preparation and before delivery to the table.

Dying/Dead - Food that is nearly or totally unservable, either due to temperature, appearance or wrong ingredients. Usually happens while waiting for other food to be prepared. Ex. "My pasta is dying in the window, here!"

Double/Triple Sat - When more than one table is sat in a particular station at a particular time.

V.I.P. - A very important customer, perhaps well known and deserving of extra special treatment. At the right restaurant, every customer should be a V.I.P.!