# Do Most Cultures Consider Belching After A Meal To Be A Complement?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-cultures-consider-belching-after-a-meal-to-be-a-complement/130848
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 4, 2002, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-cultures-consider-belching-after-a-meal-to-be-a-complement/130848 "2002-10-04T15:50:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2002, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-cultures-consider-belching-after-a-meal-to-be-a-complement/130848/1 "2002-10-04T15:50:09Z")

</div>

Is it true that most of the people in the world consider belching loudly after a meal to be a high complement, indicating that their meal was very good? Belching may be frowned upon in Western culture for some unknown reason, but what about everywhere else??

Thanks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2002, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-most-cultures-consider-belching-after-a-meal-to-be-a-complement/130848/2 "2002-10-04T17:57:08Z")

</div>

Sorry, not an answer, just a spelling peeve.

Compl **e** ment = a person or thing that completes or goes well together with something.

Compl **i** ment = a remark or act expressing respect, appreciation, etc.

I wish this sort of thing didn’t get me annoyed, but it does.