"I went out to have a late bite to eat with another agent."
Couldn't he have just said, "I went out to have a late bite with another agent"?
Couldn't he have just said, "I went out to have a late bite with another agent"?
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bite
"I went out to have a late bite to eat with another agent."
Couldn't he have just said, "I went out to have a late bite with another agent"?
This is the sort of question I hate.
If you know the answer, why ask the question. OK 'a late bite': what does this mean? it means, to have a bite to eat. So, can you say, a late bite with another Agent. Well yes, but it is probably better to say, to have a late bite to eat with another Agent, because otherwise it might sound nonsensical. To a certain extent it depends on who you are talking too. If you are talking to someone with a limited command of English, it is probably better to stick to fairly simple English and avoid assuming that they will understand that: a late bite, means, a late bite to eat.
"Tea" is different, because it's normally a noun. "Bite" is normally a verb, so when you use it as a noun, it's good to qualify with a phrase like "to eat" or "of cake" to clarify.
I think "a bite to eat" is a set phrase, though. I've always heard people use that whole phrase. I think it is becoming more common to leave off the "to eat" in certain cases - like "Let's go grab a quick bite" - but the full phrase is very common.
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