# Speaking with your mouth full. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 12, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-with-your-mouth-full/415297 "2007-08-12T00:41:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-with-your-mouth-full/415297/1 "2007-08-12T00:41:25Z")
Okay, don’t hold me to the “full” part. That’s how it was called when I was a kid. I grew up learning that it was pretty rude to talk with food in one’s mouth. Any food at all. Nobody wanted to see your cud, or to be sprayed with it. Now, it seems, you’re being rude if you don’t immediately answer someone, regardless of whether or not you’re eating. It seems the onus is on you to learn to speak with food in your mouth without offending or spraying anyone. So I was told. Making someone wait while you chew and swallow is, it seems, very inconsiderate. This may be true, because I’ve been watching people and everyone (except me) speaks with food in the mouth. Often the food does show, and occasionally it leaves the mouth. I’m talking about in pretty sophisticated company, too. I’m being fastidious, aren’t I? Please don’t confuse this with when servers ask a question while you’re eating. Different subject. okay. Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-with-your-mouth-full/415297/2 "2007-08-12T00:46:39Z")
I won’t do it. If someone is going to be rude enough to say something to me which requires a response when I obviously am chewing a mouthful of food, they can just wait. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-with-your-mouth-full/415297/3 "2007-08-12T00:53:22Z")
If they are so rude as to pop a question - or perhaps they’re just not paying attention - when I put food in my mouth, I raise a finger, finish chewing, and swallow and then answer. Their rudeness does not give me license to be rude, too. And I hate seeing half-chewed food so it behooves me to do unto others and all that. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-with-your-mouth-full/415297/4 "2007-08-12T01:42:41Z")
The polite response is to spit your mouthful into a napkin, answer the question, and re-consume the load. Optionally, if you noticed any small bones or gristle that you didn’t really want in the first place, it is perfectly acceptable to paw through the mush and remove the offending item(s) before re-ingesting. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-with-your-mouth-full/415297/5 "2007-08-12T01:52:07Z")
Please, tell me that this is _not_ a conspiracy, and that I’m not the only person who people do this around. If you all _are_ talking with mouthfuls of food only in my presence, then that’s just plain mean. And I’m tellin’. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Campion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Campion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Campion)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-with-your-mouth-full/415297/6 "2007-08-12T02:58:58Z")
Depends. If it’s a business meeting, I’ll finish the bite then respond. If it’s my brother, I’ll answer immediately, making sure to enunciate very clearly and roundly. 😃 > [@Boyo Jim](#): > > The polite response is to spit your mouthful into a napkin, answer the question, and re-consume the load. Optionally, if you noticed any small bones or gristle that you didn’t really want in the first place, it is perfectly acceptable to paw through the mush and remove the offending item(s) before re-ingesting. I don’t know what kind of barn you grew up in, but where I come from, the polite response is to offer your guest dibs on what’s in the napkin before you toss it back into your mouth. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-with-your-mouth-full/415297/7 "2007-08-12T03:07:23Z")
I guess I’m the only one who, when talking and eating simultaneously, covers their mouth. I don’t mind when people talk and eat as long as I can’t see the “cud”. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-with-your-mouth-full/415297/8 "2007-08-12T04:19:39Z")
I have the 38-year-old or so memory of my primary school headmistress, walking up and down the outside lunch area at school, to keep my etiquette up as far as talking and chewing’s concerned. “Only _cows_ chew with their mouths open!” So, along the lines of what **monstro** said – I keep the cud to myself. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-with-your-mouth-full/415297/9 "2007-08-12T04:39:11Z")
[QUOTE=Campion] …I don’t know what kind of barn you grew up in, but where I come from, the polite response is to offer your guest dibs on what’s in the napkin before you toss it back into your mouth. [/QUOTE] The whole thing? Or just the choicest bits? This is new to me – I guess I have lots more to learn. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-with-your-mouth-full/415297/10 "2007-08-12T04:39:16Z")
[QUOTE=monstro] I guess I’m the only one who, when talking and eating simultaneously, covers their mouth. I don’t mind when people talk and eat as long as I can’t see the “cud”. [/QUOTE] I do that too, but usually only if my mouth is half-full. If I just took a huge unladylike bite of something I’ll gesture for the person to wait until I’ve swallowed. ---
**Author:** ![IrreverentTone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@IrreverentTone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IrreverentTone)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-with-your-mouth-full/415297/11 "2007-08-12T04:43:44Z")
In general, the people I hang out with aren’t that disgusting, thankfully. What gets me is the open mouth eating on the food oriented television commercials that I see. I have zero desire to purchase any product that I’ve seen in the early stages of it’s trip down an alimentary canal. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-with-your-mouth-full/415297/12 "2007-08-12T04:50:32Z")
I might say something like “one sec”, but I won’t get into a conversation. I’m far too uncomfortable talking through my food to do that. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-with-your-mouth-full/415297/13 "2007-08-12T04:55:32Z")
It’s disgusting & it pisses me off when my boss does it. He’s such a nice guy, but this one thing… oh man. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-with-your-mouth-full/415297/14 "2007-08-12T04:58:12Z")
So, what about the other half of my question: Is it ever rude to make someone wait till you finish chewing, and swallow? I don’t feel rude when I do that. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-with-your-mouth-full/415297/15 "2007-08-12T05:16:42Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] The polite response is to spit your mouthful into a napkin, answer the question, and re-consume the load. Optionally, if you noticed any small bones or gristle that you didn’t really want in the first place, it is perfectly acceptable to paw through the mush and remove the offending item(s) before re-ingesting. [/QUOTE] I never have a napkin nearby, I usually just use a piece of paper or a playing card. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-with-your-mouth-full/415297/16 "2007-08-12T05:20:16Z")
[QUOTE=Joey P] I never have a napkin nearby, I usually just use a piece of paper or a playing card. [/QUOTE] A shirt pocket works ok, better with a pocket protector. If nothing else is available, use the palm of your hand. You know that rule about ‘no elbows on the table’? It doesn’t apply when holding cud. ---
**Author:** ![IrreverentTone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@IrreverentTone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IrreverentTone)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-with-your-mouth-full/415297/17 "2007-08-12T05:39:24Z")
[QUOTE=mangeorge] So, what about the other half of my question: Is it ever rude to make someone wait till you finish chewing, and swallow? I don’t feel rude when I do that. [/QUOTE] Not in my opinion. Okay, it might be a titch rude if your dinner partner is struck with horrendous chest pain and manages to gasp out “Call 911!” and you hold up a finger and make them wait while you finish masticating before replying.