Interesting questions. Are you perhaps running the posts
through a machine translator that greps on the occasional
word or locution? In that case I shall not condescend to
alter my slightly peculiar writing style (which some
enjoy, with the result that at university I dropped a
class whose teacher told me I was the worst writer he had
ever met and substituted one whose teacher told me I was 
the best writer he had ever met (in my price range). It 
will not surprise you that the former went on to fame and 
tenure at a respected college and the latter became an
art dealer.

If I may be so bold, here is a link to what appears to be
a respectable lexicon for the occasional term that eludes
you - I hope it is accessible to you:
dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english-russian/

>  ML> There was one couple, named Bill and Hillary (fairly easy to
>  ML> remember)
> Why fairly easy, Michael?

In the USA we had a president named Bill Clinton, whose
wife, also a politician, was Hillary Clinton. They were
often referred to just a Bill and Hillary (sometimes
even Billary).

>  ML> The other couple pled lunch, but we stayed on in the hope that others
>  ML> would show up; a bit after 1 our own lunch needs came up.
> What is pled?

Past tense of plead (also occasionally used is pleaded).
In this case, it means they excused themselves and left.

>  ML> Outdoor seating only, of course, and we were lucky that it was a sunny
>  ML> pleasant day. The restaurant has converted its parking lot into
>  ML> picnic-style seating and has contracted with a nearby church to
>  ML> provide parking, presumably except on Sunday.
> 2) Why except on Sunday?

Church parking lots are used by churches on Sunday,
that being the nature of the beast. Most other days
they remain fairly empty.

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.00

      Title: Chocolate Vinegar Cake
 Categories: Chocolate, Cakes, Desserts
      Yield: 9 servings

  1 1/2 c  Flour; Unbleached, Sifted           1 c  Sugar
      3 tb Cocoa; Baking                       1 ts Baking Soda
    1/2 ts Salt                                1 ts Vanilla Extract
      1 tb Vinegar                             5 tb Butter Or Regular
Margarine
      1 c  ;Water

--------------------------MOCHA CHOCOLATE
FROSTING--------------------------
  1 3/4 c  Confectioners' Sugar                3 tb Cocoa; Baking
      3 tb Butter Or Regular Margarine         3 tb Coffee; Brewed, Hot
    1/2 ts Vanilla Extract

  Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together into a
mixing
  bowl.  Make 3 wells in the dry ingredients.  Pour vanilla into 1 well;
  vinegar into 1 well and melted butter into the third.  Pour water over
all.
  Beat with a wooden spoon until well blended.  Pour batter into a greased
  9-inch square baking pan.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for 25
  minutes or until cake tests done.  Cool in pan on rack.  Frost with Mocha
  Chocolate Frosting.  Cut into squares. MOCHA CHOCOLATE FROSTING: Combine
  confectioners' sugar, cocoa, softened butter, coffee, and vanilla in a
  mixing bowl.  Beat, with an electric mixer set at medium speed, until
  smooth. NOTE; This recipe came from a very old church cookbook that [a]
  woman found and is typical of many of the recipes of the 1800's. The
  vinegar was used to keep the cake from spoiling.

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