"Enjoy the Dinner" not "Diner." Diner is a place.

[Æsir]

A building. "Hey lets have dinner at this new cool diner down the street."

[rj]

yes. they mean diner, not dinner. you can enjoy the diner. "enjoy the restaurant" is correct. "enjoy the cafe" is also correct.

honestly, you do not, in fact, have all that much food in this diner. no real dinner to speak of.

[Æsir]

Originally posted by rj:

yes. they mean diner, not dinner. you can enjoy the diner. "enjoy the restaurant" is correct. "enjoy the cafe" is also correct.

honestly, you do not, in fact, have all that much food in this diner. no real dinner to speak of.

Here, because I enjoy learning the English language I had to dig deeper for myself to figure out why it felt off to me. Here's Grok's explanation that will help others as it helped me.

Grok:

You’re onto something with your observation about "Enjoy the Diner" feeling off, and it’s a great catch to tie it to the possibility of English not being the developers’ first language. Let’s break this down and figure out why it might strike a native speaker as odd, especially in the context of a video game title.

First, "Enjoy the Diner" is grammatically correct—there’s a verb ("enjoy") and a direct object ("the Diner"), so it’s not a syntax issue. However, it doesn’t quite align with how English speakers naturally phrase things, particularly in a colloquial or inviting context like a game title. Native speakers tend to use "enjoy" in ways that imply an experience or activity tied to the object, not just the object itself. For example, you’d say "Enjoy your meal" or "Enjoy the show," where the noun suggests something dynamic—eating, watching—rather than a static place like "the Diner." Saying "Enjoy the Diner" feels like it’s asking you to take pleasure in the existence of the diner itself, which is a bit abstract and unusual without further context.

This brings us to the game’s origin. "Enjoy the Diner" is a video game developed by Japanese creators (Gekkan Shicchitai and Studio Dragonet, published by Waku Waku Games). The Japanese title is 「ファミレスを享受せよ」 ("Famiresu o kyōju seyo"), which translates roughly to "Enjoy the Family Restaurant" or "Partake in the Family Restaurant." The verb "kyōju" (享受) means "to enjoy" or "to receive pleasure from," often with a sense of savoring or indulging in something. In Japanese, this phrasing works naturally—it’s an imperative, inviting the player to engage with the concept of a diner (or "famiresu," a casual Japanese term for a family restaurant). But when translated directly to "Enjoy the Diner," it loses some of that cultural nuance and lands in an awkward spot for English speakers.

Here’s why it feels "wrong":

Colloquial Expectation: In English, diner-related phrases lean toward specific activities—like "Eat at the diner" or "Visit the diner"—rather than a broad "Enjoy the Diner." Titles or invitations in English often imply what you’re enjoying: "Dine at the Diner" or "Savor the Diner Experience" would feel more idiomatic. "Enjoy the Diner" lacks that specificity, making it sound stiff or overly literal.
Article Usage: The lowercase "the" in "Enjoy the diner" (as you noted) could hint at a translation quirk. In English titles, we’d typically capitalize "The" (as they did in the official title, "Enjoy the Diner"), but the choice of including "the" at all feels slightly off. Dropping it to "Enjoy Diner" might sound snappier and more like a native title—think "Enjoy Coca-Cola" versus "Enjoy the Coca-Cola." "The" makes it too definite and grounded for a playful game vibe.
Cultural Context: Diners in American English carry a specific retro, casual vibe—greasy spoons, late-night hangs, comfort food. A native speaker might title a game "Diner Dash" (activity-focused) or "Moonlit Diner" (evocative), not "Enjoy the Diner," which feels detached from that cultural imagery. In Japan, "famiresu" are ubiquitous, modern chain restaurants, so "enjoying" one might imply a broader, everyday experience that doesn’t fully carry over.
Translation Literalness: The Japanese "kyōju seyo" is a command to indulge or partake, but "enjoy" in English doesn’t quite capture that active, immersive sense here. A native speaker might’ve gone for something like "Diner Delight" or "Live the Diner Life" to convey the game’s mood (a quirky, eternal diner called Moon Palace).
So, the "off" feeling likely stems from a direct translation that prioritizes the original phrasing over English colloquial norms. It’s not wrong, per se—just not how a native speaker would naturally pitch it. If the developers aimed for a quirky, literal vibe to match the game’s surreal tone, it might even be intentional. But to your point, it does signal a non-native approach—English speakers wouldn’t instinctively frame a diner this way without more context. Does that pin down the weirdness for you, or is there another layer you’re sensing?