No, I didn’t bring enough for everybody! Why the hell would I?
Every time I’m in the public with food, someone makes this asinine statement. Where the hell did it come from? I spend my hard earned dollars to feed myself. Feed your own damn self!
Are you gonna eat that deliciously looking ham & cheese sammich?
I want some of those M & M’s…
What the hell are you doing, eating in a public area? You think I want to watch you masticate? Christ, you’ve got mustard on your necktie, slob. Whaddaya think napkins are for? You finishing those fries?
Thank goodness you remembered to include that “l”, eh?
pan
[sub]oh… the OP… I would have thought that it comes from schooldays, where teachers are infamous for using this phrase when someone is eating in class when they shouldn’t be.[/sub]
I rank this right up there with coworkers asking, “What’s for lunch?” then checking out what I brown-bagged today. I don’t believe my meal is any of your business, and I don’t care for your assessment of the fat grams/carbs/fiber. Go away. It’s my lunch break.
Have I ever mentioned the former coworker who would come in and OPEN my lunch containers to see what I had? Da NOIVE!!
For me it comes from school. When I was a kid and it was my birthday or something, mom wasn’t allowed to just make enough cupcakes for me and my friends, she had to provide one for everybody in my class. It was the general rule, if something was going to be eaten during class, then everybody had to get some.
To me, “hope you brought enough for everybody” is a phrase to be used when someone gives food to somebody else in a public place where it isn’t necessarily expected. For example, I might say it (though probably not) if one of my co-workers gave another a hunk of fudge in front of everybody. I wouldn’t literally mean it, though.
Like obfusciatrist, this reminds me of school days, too. If any kid got caught with food in class, that was the teacher’s response. IIRC, that’s how I experience my first corn nut. Some kid got caught in home room with a bag and was forced to give each classmate one corn nut.
Almost as annoying is people who come up to me during break to talk about work projects that need to be done. Look, I get a 15 minute break for breakfast. I’m trying to FORGET that I’m here for 15 minutes. You can fucking wait for a bit to call me and tell me about the latest project. You have my phone number where i’m working, and oyu have my freakin’ PAGER number. Let me eat in peace, m’kay?
I sure would - mmmm, fudge…
When I was at school (clue: same time Beatles played Shea Stadium :eek: ), a pupil started to eat a crisp in the lesson. Our teacher said ‘DON’T EAT IN MY LESSON! But if you must, bring enough for everybody.’
It sounded OK to me. Don’t disturb the lesson. But if you must, at least make a generous gesture.
So I use it in my lessons now, and the kids think it’s fair. They usually say ‘Sir, I’d like to eat a Smartie*. But it’s all right, because I brought enough for everybody.’
*American translation: M+M
[hijack]
Being Canadian, I do know what a Smartie is. But what is a crisp? [/hijack]
The “bring enough for everybody” rule certainly seems reasonable for children in classrooms, to curb random, distracting munching during lessons. Otherwise, I think it’s inappropriate. Especially among adults with money.
I need to eat very regular meal plus snacks to keep my blood sugar under control and I can’t always stop what I’m doing at work or school to do it. So I eat in front of others quite often without sharing. I know people with diabetes that have to do the same. It gets to be major pain in the ass when people spout that line, or get insulted or drop hints when I don’t share. Sorry, I don’t have the money or the space in my bag to haul food around for everyone, even if I wanted to. If you want snacks, bring your own. (If you literally are starving or about to slip into a coma, OK. That’s another story.)
rivulus
rivulus, ‘crisps’ are what we call ‘chips’
And damn it, Smarties aren’t M+Ms! They don’t talk, or walk, wear gloves, or make smart-ass comments while licking their fellow Smarties.
Just tryin’ to make this pit-worthy.
Aha! Mystery solved. I will now be able to sleep tonight. (Potato, not cow, right?)
rivulus
Look, asshole, the reason I ordered only fries is because that is all I am going to eat. You are not entitled to reach over and impishly snag a fry before I’ve had even one. Ever get between a dog and his food dish? Not a good idea. Nor is it a good idea to get between me and my fries.
I guess people think that because fries are collective, rather than singular like a sandwich, that they’re “for everybody”. Not! They are “for” the person who paid for them. When I’ve taken the edge off my appetite, you may ask for one, and as a reward for your politeness, I’ll let you have the John Holmes fry. But it is not cute to pick over someone’s food before they’ve even gotten started on it.
Grrr…Never will forget the girl who stated, “You don’t mind if I take a few of your fries” when I was sitting down to the first food I’d had since the morning. I should have said, “You don’t mind if I take a bite of your finger”, but I never have the nerve to throw down.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Ukulele Ike *
**
Ahhhh, Ike, I love ya man. I was WAITING for a "Diner reference. What has to be the definitive movie on eating in public. Paul Reiser turned that line into an entire role, seconded only by his other brilliant riff- spoken EVERY morning at sunrise as they all stumbled out of the diner…
God I love that movie. 
Cartooniverse
**
[hijack]
Being Canadian, I do know what a Smartie is. [/hijack] **
[/QUOTE]
That reminds me…Why the hell are smarties like M&M’s in Canada? I know it has to do with the licencing of the name (owned by Nestle or something in Canada) which would explain- nothing. Why doesn’t nestle just make little sugary-sour tablets too, and call “smarties” something else, as to not confuse the hell out of everyone? Oh no, that’s not good enough for them, they have to make a candy that’s completely different and give it the same name. http://www.smarties.com
And those kinder surpise things. Are they edible or not? I know they’ve got toys inside, but someone told me they’re like wonderballs, which are hollow chocolate balls with other types of candy in the center. I want candy with toys in it too! Oh well, maybe the next time I cross the border…
As for the OP, why would anyone who wasn’t a teacher ask that? If you’re an adult, it’s none of their damn business what you eat when, unless you were…nevermind, you wouldn’t do that in public.