# Things people do with food that annoy you **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 16, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659 "2009-03-16T20:16:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![mariposalabrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@mariposalabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mariposalabrown)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/101 "2009-03-18T20:29:04Z")
My boyfriend’s Dad uses his fork like a shovel. And I have never heard of sugar on a tomato. In Texas, we use salt. Delish! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/102 "2009-03-18T21:14:25Z")
> [@mariposalabrown](#): > > My boyfriend’s Dad uses his fork like a shovel. If you’re saying what I think you’re saying, I do this too, and anyone who thinks it’s inappropriate can go to hell. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/103 "2009-03-18T21:46:04Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > My friend seems to think it will clear her breath after the meal. Does it have that benefit for you? I think it does. I haven’t really put it to the test on other people, but my mouth feels fresher after eating the parsley. > [@Aesiron](#): > > I’ve never heard of anyone eating sugary tomatoes outside of ketchup or pasta sauces and I’ve lived all but two years of my life in the South. I’ve never heard of sugared tomatoes either. In Texas, which may or may not be a part of the South according to who you believe, we eat tomatoes with SALT. And other people like pepper on it, too. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/104 "2009-03-18T23:03:50Z")
> [@filling\_pages](#): > > Not in north Florida it’s not. We eat our tomato slices as God intended - with plenty of salt, as a side dish to fried fish. She said it was a Southern thing. Seriously, though, I’ve heard of this. In my experience, the vast majority of people in the South prefer salt & pepper, but I’ve heard of people using sugar. ETA: Oh, I see you said North Florida. My bad. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/105 "2009-03-18T23:11:30Z")
> [@mariposalabrown](#): > > My boyfriend’s Dad uses his fork like a shovel. > > And I have never heard of sugar on a tomato. In Texas, we use salt. Delish! Some people think it’s odd that I eat things like rice with a spoon. Is that really so odd? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2009, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/106 "2009-03-18T23:21:58Z")
> [@Apocalypso](#): > > What annoys me? Hmmm, chicken wings. I hate the sight, smell, and taste of chicken wings. There’s almost no actual meat on them, and there’s just as much gristle and disgusting stuff on them as there is meat (if not more). Yep. And that’s why I love 'em. The beauty of a chicken wing is a nearly equal ratio of crispy chicken skin to succulent, dark chicken meat. If you don’t like chicken skin, then, sure, you’re not going to like wings. And I love eating off the bone, it satisfies some primordial instinct, and I like to watch the pile of bones build on my plate. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/107 "2009-03-19T01:06:10Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > I’ve never heard of anyone eating sugary tomatoes outside of ketchup or pasta sauces and I’ve lived all but two years of my life in the South. Ok–my relatives in Kentucky, Virginia and Florida all did this. Perhaps it’s a family thing. It’s not a huge amount of sugar–just a small sprinkle. I can see where salt would be good, too. You can keep your pepper, though. Yuck! ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/108 "2009-03-19T01:39:03Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > Excessive condiments of any type bother me. A bowl full of ranch dressing for dipping french fries, for example. I’m with that. I don’t care if someone chooses to use a lot of condiments most of the time, but when someone is dunking absolutely everything in condiments, I wonder if they even know what food tastes like. My wife needs huge amounts of ranch dressing on everything. Everytime I make dinner, she needs a pile of ranch no matter what it is. Does she not like my cooking? I’ve even cooked with ranch dressing just for her, but it still needs ranch. It becomes insulting. ---
**Author:** ![Leiko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Leiko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leiko)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/109 "2009-03-19T01:53:10Z")
People who make their hamburgers into miniature meat loaf annoy me greatly. I know that most people don’t use locally-grown mostly grass-fed beef that tastes great on its own, because they didn’t grow up on a small beef farm and have an aunt who gives them meat for Christmas. With that in mind, I can understand salting and lightly peppering the raw meat before forming the patties- flavor enhancement, but nothing overpowering. But throwing in bread crumbs, egg, Worcestershire, onion, and what-have-you? That’s not a burger anymore, it’s pan-fried meatloaf. It might taste good, but calling it a burger is misleading. > [@eleanorigby](#): > > I like the wooden paddles for ice cream, but I’ve been known to suck on a popsicle stick–I like the taste of wood in my mouth. (make of that what you will…heh). Ever had rhubarb flavored Dry? (Dry is a boutique-y soda brand, if you’re not familiar with it. They have flavors like kumquat, rhubarb, and lemongrass.) It tastes like the wood of a cherry popsicle. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/110 "2009-03-19T12:02:03Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > If you’re saying what I think you’re saying, I do this too, and anyone who thinks it’s inappropriate can go to hell. What do you think she’s saying? (My guess, he grips the fork handle in a fist.) ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/111 "2009-03-19T12:33:56Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > What do you think she’s saying? (My guess, he grips the fork handle in a fist.) That’s what I got from it. Are you whooshing us, **Really Not All That Bright**? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/112 "2009-03-19T13:25:46Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Ok–my relatives in Kentucky, Virginia and Florida all did this. Perhaps it’s a family thing. It’s not a huge amount of sugar–just a small sprinkle. I can see where salt would be good, too. You can keep your pepper, though. Yuck! Can see where salt would be good? Have you never had a tomato sandwich, i.e., two pieces of bread, a thick slice of tomato, and some salt with pepper and mayonnaise being optional? I’ll have to try some sugar the next time I eat some tomato. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/113 "2009-03-19T13:28:02Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > That’s what I got from it. Are you whooshing us, **Really Not All That Bright**? Er… not that. I meant using the fork to scoop things as well as stab them. Apparently that’s a _faux pas_ in some circles. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![mariposalabrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@mariposalabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mariposalabrown)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/114 "2009-03-19T13:32:36Z")
I tried some sugar on tomato last night and it was pretty damn good, but I still prefer my salt! And yes, I meant that he holds his fork in his fist and then shovels in the food and it goes everywhere. Sorry, but once you are past age five or so you need to learn how to hold a fork the right way, he looks like a caveman. ETA: Oops, your reply wasn’t there when I wrote this. Scooping with the fork is just fine, I have no problem with that! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/115 "2009-03-19T13:40:58Z")
> [@mariposalabrown](#): > > ETA: Oops, your reply wasn’t there when I wrote this. Scooping with the fork is just fine, I have no problem with that! Excellent. We can do lunch sometime. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/116 "2009-03-19T13:42:10Z")
I’ll tell you what people do with food that annoys me. They eat it. Specifically, they make noise while they eat it. I’m not talking about especially noisy eaters. I’m talking about normal eaters. Eaters making no more noise than I myself do when I eat. The sound of it is like nails across a chalkboard to me. The eating noises, and the noises of silverware on plates–oh God it makes me shudder just thinking about it. This is why I hate the typical “family meal around the table” setup. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/117 "2009-03-19T15:29:38Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > I’ll tell you what people do with food that annoys me. > > They eat it. > > Specifically, they make noise while they eat it. > > I’m not talking about especially noisy eaters. I’m talking about normal eaters. Eaters making no more noise than I myself do when I eat. The sound of it is like nails across a chalkboard to me. I agree with you–I need white noise or someone talking or it’s creepy. I served my Mom breakfast in bed exactly once and it was hell sitting there while she ate. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/118 "2009-03-19T15:32:40Z")
> [@WarmNPrickly](#): > > I’m with that. I don’t care if someone chooses to use a lot of condiments most of the time, but when someone is dunking absolutely everything in condiments, I wonder if they even know what food tastes like. My wife needs huge amounts of ranch dressing on everything. Everytime I make dinner, she needs a pile of ranch no matter what it is. Does she not like my cooking? I’ve even cooked with ranch dressing just for her, but it still needs ranch. It becomes insulting. What if it’s salad? I mean, let’s face it, no one really wants to taste lettuce. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/119 "2009-03-19T15:35:31Z")
I’m currently being subjected to the sound of my lovely co-worker (she actually \*is \*a lovely person but has the social graces of a hyena)scraping the bottom of her yogurt container with her spoon. Over and over. Okay, Madge, I think you got your money’s worth now. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659/120 "2009-03-19T15:44:46Z")
These clowns I know are always smashing pies in each other’s faces. Why waste good pie? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-people-do-with-food-that-annoy-you/489659.md?page=7)