Noisette
With coffee, milk. At dessert, a flavour. The same word moves between two moments of the meal. The dining room listens to what came before it.
Allongé, serré
Two ways of ordering coffee, and of stating a preference without describing it. « Allongé, mais pas endormi » adds what no quantity quite conveys: the coffee should still have a presence.
Arrosé
« Un baba bien arrosé. » No measure is given. The guest expresses an expectation. The dining room must decide whether the rum already poured answers it, or whether to offer more.
Sec
With a spirit, the word can call for a question about ice or added water. With wine, it means something else. A familiar word may still need a little clarification.
Petit noir
A way of ordering that already carries a counter with it. Two words give the coffee a place in the day. Les noter, c’est aussi conserver une voix.