Do you leave one for Mr Manners?

[JTG]

We had to eat all our food or were not allowed to leave the table. I used to sit there for hours with cold fish and new potatoes in front of me - I hated it!

I don't remember eating at anyone else's house, although I must have done as I used to stay with friends from school. Some of them were quite well off, and I bet their parents thought I was a right pleb.

Yeah, me too. I was brought up in a household which spent the week making Sunday's leftovers last for days 'cos we didn't have much money so leaving anything was one of the biggest crimes imaginable. I still find it hard to throw away food now, if you've bought it or cooked it then you eat it.

Never ate at anyone else's house either, nor had anyone round.

As far as Donna's interpretation of the phrase goes however, yes I always leave the last biscuit or whatever. Taking the last one for yourself is rude.

 

[votisit]

Growing up in a house where food is sparse and eating everything on the plate is acceptable and in my opinion quite right. But all children should be taught that if they are invited to dinner they really should leave a little something on the plate so that the host is comfortable knowing that they have served enough food. I have hosted dinners where this was never taught, and apart from the fact I gave them the hugest portion this side of the planet, and then gave them seconds, they finished it all in a quarter of the time it took everyone else. I felt as if my food wasn't enough.

I also feel that compliments on food should be given after the first couple of mouthfulls and not left until the end of the meal, the host is anxious to know if her food is being enjoyed. Anyone that forgets to compliment the host should be shot.

Table manners are very important and I see many teenagers that have never been taught any, which only excuses their behaviour to a certain degree. Go out and borrow a book on manners!

 

[pogofish]

I have a feeling the correct & mannerly response to anyone banging-on about manners is to take them outside & kill them. Or at very least, banish them to a life amongst the lower social orders. Do you practice that too?

 

[Donna Ferentes]

I do not, but I have been known to observe that while other countries have good food, the English have good table manners.

 

[pogofish]

English have good table manners.

Which they copied off the French & Italians. Before that, English manners were pretty basic & represented a rigid social division.

 

[rioted]

Ah, that embarrassing moment when you're asked if you want the last chocolate.

In our family the form is to leave the last one and somebody asks "does anybody want to share the last chocolate/spud/glass of wine?" Sometimes it will have to be shared many ways (tricky sometimes ), sometimes the enquirer gets the lot. With especially desireables, the divider is not the decider.

 

[bluestreak]

"I'm taking this last cupcake and if anyone's got a problem with that they can go and tell it to someone who cares."

 

[fractionMan]

mr manners can fuck off imo lol

 

[Funky_monks]

likewise.

we would have to eat in total silence too because my stepdad thought even speaking at the table was rude.

My grandad was like that!

"The tables' for eating, not talking, sonny"

I was always taught that it was bad manners to leeave anything when round at someones house.

At home, it wasn't bad manners to leave stuff, it just wasn't allowed. I think my mum used to get at least three meals out of a sunday roast - more if it was chicken.

 

[sojourner]

likewise.

we would have to eat in total silence too because my stepdad thought even speaking at the table was rude.

same!

We had to eat absolutely everything, and no talking at the table. This has stayed with me, and it drives me nuts when people I'm eating with insist on talking to me. I'M FUCKING EATING, SHUT UP


The trick to eating the last chocolate is to touch it whilst asking if anyone wants it. They never do

 

[JTG]

my mum was telling me about some feature she saw on the credit crunch and one family were telling the awful story of how they'd have to eat leftovers from Sunday lunch through the week now.

Jesus christ

 

[Funky_monks]

my mum was telling me about some feature she saw on the credit crunch and one family were telling the awful story of how they'd have to eat leftovers from Sunday lunch through the week now.

Jesus christ

There are people who don't do that? What do they do with all the leftover meat and bones and stuff?

There must be some very fat dogs out there....

 

[sojourner]

There are people who don't do that? What do they do with all the leftover meat and bones and stuff?

There must be some very fat dogs out there....

A mate of mine once invited me round for a sunday roast. afterwards, she went to wash up, and threw the chicken carcass in the bin with loads of meat still left on it! i nearly choked!!

 

[Boczkowski]

Children used to be taught that it was ill-mannered to completely clear their plates if they were invited to a meal because it implied that the host had not given them enough to eat, they should at least leave one potato or a pea "For Mr. Manners".

isn't this the case in China (or is it Japan?)

I only know from seeing some wanky HSBC ad that mentioned their 'local knowledge'

it features a bloke being brought bowl after bowl of food that he keeps finishing to the very end, thinking he is being a good guest by clearing his plate

 

[JTG]

There are people who don't do that? What do they do with all the leftover meat and bones and stuff?

There must be some very fat dogs out there....

There are people who throw perfectly edible food that they've paid for in the bin.

Yeah I know.

 

[Greebo]

That's not awful, that's how it used to be, even into the 80s. Roast on Sunday (as big as you could manage), sandwiches, omelettes made with the scraps, savoury rice with the scraps, shepherd's pie or cottage pie (mincing or chopping up roast lamb or beef for it), dripping and juices saved for spreading on bread or flavouring potatoes, a bit of meat with a large plate of chips...

We just didn't have large portions of meat as often as people seem to take for granted now. IMHO one of the reasons that a lot of teenagers now are taller that their parents.

As for the not being allowed to talk at table, yes I remember that one. And not being allowed to leave anything but a clean plate, but at the same time not being allowed to take more for later. And the men always but always being served first with the most valued bits.

 

[Funky_monks]

........And the men always but always being served first with the most valued bits.

I don't remember this. But then, you've never met my mum. Or my gran for that matter.

 

[Gromit]

Is this about farting at the dinner table?

 

[DotCommunist]

Nah, do i bollocks. I even use a bit of bread to clean the sauce off my plate.

 

[sojourner]

And the men always but always being served first with the most valued bits.

Oh yes, forgot about that one. Always the best bits of meat, and always bigger portions. Not that I'm bitter at all

 

[Yelkcub]

As it happens, I'm meeting Mr Manners for a pint later, so if we're all agreed that last biscuit is for him, I'll take it with me. Bye!

 

[Gromit]

Oh yes, forgot about that one. Always the best bits of meat, and always bigger portions. Not that I'm bitter at all

Yep some women do really like to feed up their boys and their men and then afterwards moan that they are fat and lazy (cause they are too bloated by food all the time) and need to lose weight.

Men do need slightly bigger portions though. We have more muscle and bigger frames to feed, in general. If you ate as much as me you'd be twice as fat as me.

 

[sojourner]

Men do need slightly bigger portions though. We have more muscle and bigger frames to feed, in general. If you ate as much as me you'd be twice as fat as me.

< this is my sneery smile. I am sneering at you because you have just come out with the shite excuses that were fed to me whilst I was growing up as to the reasons why the blokes always got the best and biggest portions.

You don't KNOW that I would be twice as fat as you at all. I had a fast fucking metabolism. I had to eat extra so I didn't lose weight.

 

[Gromit]

< this is my sneery smile. I am sneering at you because you have just come out with the shite excuses that were fed to me whilst I was growing up as to the reasons why the blokes always got the best and biggest portions.

You don't KNOW that I would be twice as fat as you at all. I had a fast fucking metabolism. I had to eat extra so I didn't lose weight.

I did add "in general".

I had a fast metabolism too. I was skinny as a rake and could empty a larder in one hour of everything it contained and still put on no weight.
Eating 3 whole packs of biscuits in one go and then starting on the crisps was a regular occurance. All without ruining my appitite for tea.
If only that was still able to accomplish that

 

[spring-peeper]

It's rare that the food is plated before it gets to the table.

I put the food on the table in individual dishes/plates and people choose the amount they want.

We have a "you took it- you eat it" rule. However, this can be over-ruled by the "I'm saving it for the dog" claim.

oh yes - as a kid, I've had to finish everything and if we made faces, we had to sit alone in front of a mirror.

 

[EastEnder]

Men do need slightly bigger portions though. We have more muscle and bigger frames to feed, in general. If you ate as much as me you'd be twice as fat as me.

That is a crass generalisation!

I'm a bloke, of average build, and have a smaller appetite than most people I know - men & women alike. In fact I've got female mates of considerably smaller stature than me who seem able to wolf down noticeably larger amounts without putting on lots of weight.

Everyone's different, after all.

 

[Geri]

The trick to eating the last chocolate is to touch it whilst asking if anyone wants it. They never do

Or lick it.

 

[foo]

same!

We had to eat absolutely everything, and no talking at the table. This has stayed with me, and it drives me nuts when people I'm eating with insist on talking to me. I'M FUCKING EATING, SHUT UP


The trick to eating the last chocolate is to touch it whilst asking if anyone wants it. They never do

what has stayed with me is some wierd shit about not wanting to chew at the same time as other people.

and a total neurotic loathing of people chewing loudly. it nearly makes me scream.

 

[Gromit]

That is a crass generalisation!

I'm a bloke, of average build, and have a smaller appetite than most people I know - men & women alike. In fact I've got female mates of considerably smaller stature than me who seem able to wolf down noticeably larger amounts without putting on lots of weight.

Everyone's different, after all.

They are? Tell the scientists who study people to quit their jobs and give up it as apparently everyone is completely different. There are no coomon traits in large populations. No point looking for things that work in general for the majority of people.

Nutricianists? What are they thinking?
Weightwatchers and Slimming world, they are mad setting intake levels differently for men and women, they know nothing cause apparently generalisations are crass. Oh well.

 

[EastEnder]

Calm down treacle, no need to get excited.

I take it all back, we're all identical, I shall henceforth force myself to consume the recommended daily intake for a man, lest I incur the wrath of nutritionalists & ladies from Weightwatchers!