Pretentious prices
Many trendy coffee bars and bistros have adopted a pretentious habit – omitting the final numeral from the price on the menu.
These haughty cafés love to display their wares, usually on a handwritten board, in the most twee fashion: 'Flat white – 4.1', 'Earl Grey tea – 3.3', 'Pain aux raisins – 3.6'.
I'm not too sure of the logic behind this strange practice, but it's something you don't see in other trades. I can't imagine my local garage offering a full service and MOT for 235.5.
Maybe they think it looks less expensive; that, by leaving out the end number, it will make the price appear smaller, thus cheaper. And they usually exclude the pound sign too, craftily removing the concept of money altogether, in the…
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The Oldie (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2025