Russian term (edited): ���� v. ������

- Has he set/lay the table?
- There was no banquet, if that's what you are coming at.

- Did he treat you to a dinner?
- He didn't throw a banquet if that's what you mean.

treat somebody to a dinner = угостить кого-либо.
накрыть на стол по английски будет означать акт непосредственного "постановки" предметов и еды на стола, т. е. посуды и пр.
Напр.,
... River. " I promised her that one day I would treat her to a dinner
on the Hudson". Stan, Nick and George relaxing on the mess decks. ...

Russian term (edited): ���� v. ������

Банкет = торжественный званый обед или ужин

public dinner - банкет
testimonial dinner (кого-либо) - обед или банкет в честь
to give a banquet — дать обед (банкет)
to give an entertainment - устроить банкет
to give (to hold) a feast — дать банкет
to lay on a banquet — дать банкет

накрыть стол (накрыть на стол) = приготовить стол, поставив на него все необходимое для еды
to lay (fix, set, spread) the table (for dinner) — накрыть на стол (к обеду)


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Note added at 1 hr 1 min (2004-07-08 03:26:43 GMT)
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I like your variant, Ilya.

Широко применяется в значении как угощение (в определенных целях, скажем коллег, деловых партнеров), магарыч (надо воздать должное :-) и проч. Думаю больше подойдет для такого смыслового оттенка, чем просто "банкет".

Russian term (edited): ���� v. ������

-Did he serve you a meal?
-Nothing on a {grand | banquet} scale if that's what you're coming at.

Russian term (edited): ���� v. ������

Did he treat you to dinner?
He didn't wait on me, if that's what you're asking.

Буквально, он не прислуживал мне, как на банкете/в ресторане, не был официантом или слугой. Точно знаю, что этот оборот используется, сейчас найду ссылку-другую.

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Note added at 7 hrs 15 mins (2004-07-08 09:41:10 GMT)
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Да, здесь повторения много, но как раз очень неформально и в разных оборотах используется \"wait on\".
Anyway, what happened was that the waitress waited on everybody and she didn’t wait on me. Meanwhile, all the girls had ordered, and I was sitting there, and I knew I was not going to get waited on. So one of the girls said, Myrtle, where’s your food. I said, I didn’t get waited on. Hey miss, come here, wait on her. I mean, they finally said we can’t wait on her. What do you mean you can’t wait on her? She’s our friend. You can\'t wait on her?
http://glass.peabody.jhu.edu/sas/people/dutton/dutton-oralhi...

На форуме стюардов и стюардесс.
During one trip, a F/C PAX stopped me and said \"Excuse me, you didn\'t serve me enough, you didn\'t wait on me enough. My reply, \"Well maam, there are nine other people sitting in F/C besides yourself, which I try to serve equally, and last I heard, slavery was abolished. You\'ve got to get away quickly on that one.
http://www.flightattendants.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/...

The staff that waited on me were wonderful. Pat catered to every need and more. The atmosphere is wonderful as is the food. Also, it was nice that owner took time to thank me for coming.
--- K.Y., Ithaca NY
http://www.maxies.com/feedback.html

\" What a great little find in a strip shopping mall! The charming,humorous owner/chef waited on me personally as I was his only customer at the sushi bar for lunch, although several Asian patrons set at tables. Wonderful, fresh, nigiri sushi tried was ikura, sake, maguro,& hamachi. I will be a repeat customer my next visit to Las Vegas. \"
http://www.sushi.infogate.de/rest/na_usa_nevada_lasvegas.htm