Just too polite...have you noticed?

Yes, I notice this. People does not like to be seen as ravenous, so they avoid to take the last food on the plate. However, in a small gathering the host should be perceptive to see who likely still want more food and offer the last dish to him/her. That what I do, cause I don't like to have leftovers when I am throwing a gathering.

haha yeeeeeeeah that happens a lot. that is why if I was to cook a group of people something I would give them the exact amount so no one is fighting over one piece of whatever is left. $-MrDollars-$

I noticed that too. People are too polite, but me I will usually ask if I could have that last piece. I will say "I was wondering if I could have that last piece of cake. It looks so lonely being there with no one to eat it." I am also the one who takes the last item at the store when I know that next week they will put the prices up. Aint I a meenie.

It's been a while, but usually if my husband has anything to do with it, there is always way too much food, so we don't have that problem..The problem we have is getting our friends to take some food home or finding a place to store all that food..

Hi AutumnGold, No, I had not noticed this, but I would think if I were at an outing such as a party or a barbecue it would be impolite to ask for the last piece of whatever food that was left over.Maybe the host wants the last piece for lunch tomorrow or have it for a midnight snack. I personally would feel imbarassed to ask for the food, or as you said, too polite to ask for it. I think we should try to show good manners,especially when we are out in public. Now at home. that is a different story. If there is a last piece of food in any catorary and I want and somone else in the family wants it, there is going to be trouble, you know what I mean. There is no hold bar at home.

Never would happen to you if I will be there, I probably would just take the poor piece into my plate and enjoy it to the end, while I am commenting how well cooked it is and praising the "chef". My mother taught me to never leave the plate full! Also I am a real Barbecue fanatic, I eat a lot in such times, if I would love barbecue so much I would not mind becoming a vegetarian... Cannot understand how those people can give up that joy of life. Although, I respect and appreciate them a lot for them great self discipline.

Herro AutumnGold I haven't noticed that problem. When we go to BBQ's, pot lucks, etc. there is seldom food left over. Potlucks, esp. The food is always so good and there are always teenagers. Prosperous mylotting

I aren't that polite.

Yes, I have noticed that, sometimes it does get eaten much later by someone who is brave enough to take it, but usually no one wants to be the one to take the last piece and look like a jerk. My husband usually is not shy about it though depending on who we are with. He will ask if anyone wants the last piece and of course everyone says no so he eats it.

Hi, AutumnGold. I guess that they don't want to be greedy. And they want to be polite. Some people are afraid that they may look silly for eating the last food. At the cook outs that I go to, many people love food, they sometimes don't leave any food leftover. They eat it all up.

yes,it's true at most time.so if i invited my friends to have a party or dinner.if there were manythings left.i would ask them to share them.that's a good way not to wast food.

When you are a guest in someone's home, a lot of people are left feeling awkward about taking the last of a certain food. They just don't feel right about. They don't mind doing so at their own homes. there is just something different about the politeness factor when you are the guest and not the host .

Yes, this always happen to my friends when we go out to have a meal in the restaurant, the last piece is always left lying on the plate because everybody is shy of taking it. We have a joke just for that: there's one piece of succulent chicken left on the plate, there were 9 people seated around the table with the lady host, everyone was eyeing it but was too polite to really take it. The light suddenly went out, there was a silence then they heard a scream. The lady host had the chicken in her fork, but there were 9 other forks poking into her hand!

Yes, it always happens in every party. It is always difficult to get the last one.

Hello my friend, yes I have noticed this, I think it may be a Brit thing, you know the stiff upper lip of social etiquette passed on from generation to generation. When I was a child I always avoided going for the last piece of cake, because I knew it was expected of me, to ask everyone at the table if no one wanted the last piece of cake, most of the time, someone else would say yes I'd have it, like I had reminded them and no one else wanted to bring it up! So I would wait and eye that last piece with longingness and then one of the elder relatives would reach out and grab it. 'Shame to leave' the last one they would utter to my chagrin!

Most of the time when I go to something like that it is a function at the church. When we start clearing places people just make up a plate or two for the families with the most mouths to feed and tell them they are taking it home.

By the time the last piece of food is gone, I normally am. I am well overdue and ready to go home. Most of the time at least there have been times where I stuck around a ltitle longer. When the food goes down, there are always people scrambling to get food and attempt to get that one last bite to eat. Even if they are one bit of food overdue. Still it is interesting that something like that has happened. Of course, there are always two people who are waiting for the other to let their guard done during the few times that I have noticed. The moment that person blinks, the other one will grab the food and shove that last piece of food down thier throat. Even if they are at capacity. I haven't really seen much politeness all things considered.

This observation is common in the Philippines and even among Filipinos abroad. In 3 other countries I've lived, and few others I've visited, this is not the culture. Especially in Central Asia, one has to "clean" the plate to show gratitude to the host. Leaving a little food on the plate could mean that one didn't really enjoy the food. What I noticed, though, that when there's last piece left on the platter, it is usually offered to the most "respectable" in the group, could be the oldest person or the one on the highest position.

Lol the only times when a particular type of food is left behind is when no one likes it, all the rest are gone as the guests have been too busy munching on the nice stuff and the less popular food just sits there. We give away all the left overs when they go, I hope they don't just throw them away :P

yes,, sometime i also noticed to much about this....