Food & drinkAdvanced
Upgrading a fast-food meal in English (advanced)
Advanced English for upgrading a fast-food meal. Key line: “Hey, is it too late to bump this up to a combo?”
Full script
Lin
Hey, is it too late to bump this up to a combo?
Them
Not at all—you can add fries and a drink, or swap sides.
Lin
Nice—could I sub in onion rings instead of fries?
Them
Sure thing, though they're a dollar extra and weirdly addictive.
Lin
Fair warning taken. And, uh, do onion rings count as a vegetable today?
Them
Today? Absolutely. Tomorrow, your conscience may file a complaint.
Lin
Perfect—then I'll lean into it and get a large drink too.
Them
Bold move. I'll ring up your combo with the doctor's note included.
Key phrases
The lines worth keeping. Read them once before you go out.
combo
✓ bump this up to a comboask to make it a combo
bump up is casual for upgrade
swap in
✓ sub in onion ringsreplace fries with onion rings
sub in is used to replace an item
count as
✓ count as a vegetablejoking: call it a vegetable
count as = be seen as
go for it
✓ lean into itkeep going with the idea
go with it, a bit jokingly
Quick answers
combo: what to say in English
Say “bump this up to a combo” — ask to make it a combo. bump up is casual for upgrade.
swap in: what to say in English
Say “sub in onion rings” — replace fries with onion rings. sub in is used to replace an item.
count as: what to say in English
Say “count as a vegetable” — joking: call it a vegetable. count as = be seen as.
go for it: what to say in English
Say “lean into it” — keep going with the idea. go with it, a bit jokingly.