# Bringing Store Brand Chips to Office Potluck, am I a jerk? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 23, 2021, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525 "2021-12-23T07:16:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/81 "2021-12-23T20:21:36Z")
If the boss told you to bring chips, you would bring _that_ instead? Tell me-Do you dip it into the chip dip a forkfull at a time, or do you spoon it on top of your dish? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/82 "2021-12-23T20:23:06Z")
If I had the choice between eating the crapiest chips known to man and doing my job, I would choose eating the crapy chips. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/83 "2021-12-23T20:45:21Z")
If I had a choice of eating the best food ever at work event or skipping the event and getting more work done so I can go home earlier, I’d choose work. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/84 "2021-12-23T20:51:11Z")
I would tend to agree, except I was introduced to Kahlua balls at a work potluck, and that changed my life. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/85 "2021-12-23T20:52:48Z")
I like a workplace that allows endearing pet names for your cow-orkers 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/86 "2021-12-23T21:18:54Z")
> [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > At home, we’re quite content to have a £10 bottle of wine. If we have guests, we’ll go around £25 a bottle That you’d measure the quality of wine in terms of cost is pretty telling. I’ll have whatever is good. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/87 "2021-12-23T21:56:27Z")
Winning office chili contests is usually like shooting fish in a barrel if you have any idea of what you’re doing with a chili pot. After winning a few years running at one place, they asked me if I would just judge next time around, an experience I’m not sure I’d like to repeat. That was some of the worst stuff I’ve ever had, and that’s what would likely be brought to an office pot luck. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/88 "2021-12-23T21:57:09Z")
> [@GreysonCarlisle](#): > > Because that’s what you do? There’s nothing wrong with a six-dollar bottle of Barefoot Moscato, and that’s about £5. We drink it (we doesn’t include me anymore, though, since I gave up wine), and we serve it to our guests. Everybody loves it. I have very fond memories of the Languedoc on boat trip where the locals would queue up at the local vinyard to fill jerry cans with wine from what was basically a petrol-pump setup at the grand price of 1.5 euro a litre. It was a wine that I’d happily serve to anyone for any occaision. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/89 "2021-12-23T22:12:58Z")
Some people just can’t cook, no mater how hard they try. There’s no shame in it. Now as for potato chips: if someone offers me potato chips, I don’t ask questions and I don’t make judgements, I just say “thank you”. And then I eat them. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/90 "2021-12-23T23:03:03Z")
> [@Wrenching\_Spanners](#): > > > [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > > > Has 2021 been such a good year for you that you’ve got energy to be pissed off over this kind of thing? > > I’m not pissed off, just judgmental. That doesn’t take very much energy at all. Probably about the same amount of energy you spent in composing your post. And being judgemental is the problem I have with your post. Those who got offended like you described would be considered judgemental. They would be the ones who would come off badly, not the OP. The OP was assigned the chips. The OP got them. He didn’t get those shitty “festive” red-and-green chips that no one really likes. And, sure, while he could have provided his own dip recipe instead of store bought, the variety pretty much makes up for it. He brought a _lot_ of food, and spent a decent amount for an office party. It’s not like you came up with reasonable things that his colleagues would judge him for. It was all the petty stuff that would make _them_ come off badly. Surely the interactions with the OP over the other 364 days of the year would be a better judge of how much he appreciates them than whether he got the name brand chips, for example. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2021, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/91 "2021-12-23T23:21:48Z")
Typically, GV products tend to be more roughly handled than their brand-name counterparts. I don’t know if it happens in packaging, shipping, storage, or stocking, but IME there’s a higher chance of getting bags of mostly smashed crumbs with a GV snack-chip product. Other than that, I’ve not noticed much in the way of a taste/texture difference between GV snack-chips and brand name. Oh, I did get a bag of GV “Doritos” once that seems a bit stale, but that was a one-off. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/92 "2021-12-24T00:00:33Z")
I think the spirit of the office potluck is that everyone can get together and have a good time. Some are really good cooks and want to wow you. Others are happy to contribute but can’t cook. I never minded when they brought a bucket of KFC or something fast food because I can’t make fried chicken (never tried) etc. Even if they’re bringing paper plates and other non-food things, it’s ok. Some may have a sick parent they’re caring for or other big expenses so they do what they can. Maybe I won’t be able to contribute next time. It’s true…every office probably has a freeloader who never much contributes. Ah, well. I’d rather enjoy the company. I’ve been in a few situations, too, where it’s a friendly competition to see which group can put on the best one. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/93 "2021-12-24T00:49:41Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > Typically, GV products tend to be more roughly handled than their brand-name counterparts. My experience is that _anything_ at WalMart is more roughly handled than anything at other stores. I once got a party-size box of Cheez-Its that was not only half crumbs, but had been handled so badly that one of the inner bags ripped (didn’t notice until I ate one, which was massively stale–indicating it had been sitting that way for weeks). ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/94 "2021-12-24T01:22:11Z")
Not a jerk, but the choice of dips is odd to me. By “Walmart brand chips” you mean tortilla chips? If you mean tater chips then you will need some sort of french onion dip, which is made fresh by mixing dry onion soup mix into sour cream. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/95 "2021-12-24T01:38:43Z")
Thanks for all the replies! Do ruffles not got with salsa type dips? I did get two bags of Mexican corn tortilla chips to go with that, but I assumed people would also dip the ruffles in it too? That or the Queso dip could work too? Also part of the reason I went with Walmart brand was because there chips were only $2 for a huge bag vs $4-5 for a name brand brand. I wasn’t willing to spend $20-$25 on chips alone without dip. ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/96 "2021-12-24T01:58:21Z")
There’s this amazing new invention—you can actually buy already made dip! It’s in the refrigerated section with other dairy-type things. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/97 "2021-12-24T02:03:59Z")
My limited experience with jarred onion dip is that it’s a poor substitute for the fresh stuff–presumably because it’s made to be shelf-stable. And it’s really not much more complicated to stir together sour cream and onion soup mix together than it is to scrape a jar out into a bowl. I don’t know anyone that dips potato chips into salsa. That’s just… not done. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/98 "2021-12-24T04:25:33Z")
True, but it ain’t as good. And did the OP buy any? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/99 "2021-12-24T05:57:23Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > My limited experience with jarred onion dip is that it’s a poor substitute for the fresh stuff–presumably because it’s made to be shelf-stable. I assume that’s why @MagicEyes specified dip from the refigerated/dairy section. It’s like sour cream with the onion soup mix already stirred in. ---
**Author:** ![Wrenching\_Spanners](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecb155/32.png) [@Wrenching\_Spanners](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenching_Spanners)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525/100 "2021-12-24T08:16:05Z")
> [@GreysonCarlisle](#): > > There’s nothing wrong with a six-dollar bottle of Barefoot Moscato, and that’s about £5. This is pretty much my point. Buying Barefoot Moscato for yourself is fine, if you enjoy drinking it. But if a friend invited you over for a nice dinner, and you brought a bottle of wine to the dinner, would you pick a Barefoot Moscato? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bringing-store-brand-chips-to-office-potluck-am-i-a-jerk/956525.md?page=6)