Cater to
Today’s expression is “cater to.” The world caters to right-handed people. In this example, we mean that the world specifically serves, or favors, right-handed people.
You may have heard the word “cater” before. To cater wedding is to provide all the food for the wedding. A caterer is a person who provides food for private groups. Every time I would go to a meeting or conference, I’d cross my fingers and hope there was good catering: good food provided for the participants.
Cater to is different. In general, it means “to provide what’s wanted or needed” by a someone or something. Plain English caters to adults with an intermediate or upper-intermediate level. That means we serve people with that level of English. You are more than welcome to listen if you’re a beginner or if you’re already fluent. But that’s not who we specifically serve. We specifically serve those of you at the intermediate or upper-intermediate level.
I mentioned a few weeks ago I’m reading a book about the history of Instagram. When it started, Instagram catered to artists and creatives. There were no links, there were no ads, and the company went out of its way to highlight and encourage high-quality photos. This was not the place to put all 75 photos you took on your hike. This was the place to put the very best photo you took once you got to the waterfall. Instagram catered to people who could appreciate good photography, design, and artwork. Today, it’s used much more widely.
When Snapchat came out, it catered to people who felt anxiety about their Instagram feeds. I have never felt anxiety about any type of social media account, but many teenagers were (and possibly still are) worried about how their Instagram feeds looked. They didn’t feel they could be their authentic, relaxed selves on Instagram because of the pressure to publish things that would stay there permanently.
So Snapchat launched its “Stories” feature that catered specifically to people who wanted to share photos and videos with friends, but for those to disappear. Snapchat catered to those people; Snapchat provided those people with exactly what they needed: a low-pressure way to distribute imperfect photos and videos to friends, without the stress of seeming picture-perfect, like on Instagram.
Peloton caters to people who want to exercise at home, but still have the social feel of being in a group fitness class. By now you know what this means: Peloton provides those people what they specifically want. Peloton provides stationary bikes and treadmills with video screens and a subscription to virtual exercise classes that can be done from home.
On my vacation last summer, I stayed at a hotel that catered to outdoor enthusiasts: they offered kayaks and bicycles for rent. In that same town, there were a lot of places that catered to tourists visiting for a ski weekend; this town was a popular ski town in the winter. What would tourists visiting for a ski weekend need? They would need places to rent skis and boots. They might want a place to get a massage if their muscles hurt one morning. They might need instructions for their kids. They might need babysitting for their kids during the day. All these shops cater to tourists visiting to go skiing for the weekend: they provide those tourists with what they specifically need.
In any ski town, there are also a few places that cater to those family members that visit, but don’t love skiing. I won’t make any gender stereotypes here, but in a family on a ski vacation, there might be one family member that’s not quite as into the adrenaline rush of skiing as the others. And so there are places that cater to the non-skier in the family: spas, restaurants, wine tastings, art galleries, shopping, and other daytime activities. They cater to the people who are visiting a ski town, but are not on the slopes.
JR’s song of the week
JR’s song of the week is “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler. It was her biggest hit ever, although for me I will always remember the parody version that appears in the Will Ferrell comedy movie “Old School.”
See you next time!
And that’s all for today’s lesson. Congratulations on reaching the end of another Plain English. Remember, the full lesson is online at PlainEnglish.com/335. Free members have access to the transcripts, full archives, and bonus words and phrases with each lesson. Plus members get even more, including translations, practice exercises, videos, and the fast version of the audio.
We’ll be back as usual with another lesson on Monday. See you then!
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