At the Dinner Table

[dragon wench]

As I was finishing dinner a little while ago, I began to wonder if other people had conversations while eating that might be questionable in "polite" company

For example, tonight my partner, ten-year-old son and I started off with Canada/US politics, then moved to a conversation about chicken drumsticks (which is my son's latest euphemism for his lower quarters) and by the end of the meal we had somehow ended up discussing dung beatles....

Does anyone else here routinely enjoy bizarre dinner discussions with their families, roomies, or.. pets?

[Magrus]

[QUOTE=dragon wench]As I was finishing dinner a little while ago, I began to wonder if other people had conversations while eating that might be questionable in "polite" company

For example, tonight my partner, ten-year-old son and I started off with Canada/US politics, then moved to a conversation about chicken drumsticks (which is my son's latest euphemism for his lower quarters) and by the end of the meal we had somehow ended up discussing dung beatles....

Does anyone else here routinely enjoy bizarre dinner discussions with their families, roomies, or.. pets? [/QUOTE]

*chuckles* "pets" can be taken a few ways. When with my parents, no, my mother is uptight and squimish. I generally dine alone in my room while reading online now. When I lived with my roommates in 2003 though, we'd discuss all sorts of stuff. You name it, we went there while downing pizza and booze. I like the "chicken drumsticks" thing, thats cute. Oh, I'm full of vodka atm btw.

[dragon wench]

[QUOTE=Magrus]*chuckles* "pets" can be taken a few ways. When with my parents, no, my mother is uptight and squimish. I generally dine alone in my room while reading online now. When I lived with my roommates in 2003 though, we'd discuss all sorts of stuff. You name it, we went there while downing pizza and booze. I like the "chicken drumsticks" thing, thats cute. Oh, I'm full of vodka atm btw. [/QUOTE]

lol! There are worse things to be full of, I suppose

[Magrus]

[QUOTE=dragon wench]lol! There are worse things to be full of, I suppose [/QUOTE]

Oh? Like what?

[dragon wench]

[QUOTE=Magrus]Oh? Like what? [/QUOTE]
You're trying to get me banned aren't you?

[Magrus]

[QUOTE=dragon wench]You're trying to get me banned aren't you? [/QUOTE]

Oh, I wouldn't want that, I missed having you around while you were wandering texas. Drunken curiousity is all.

[dragon wench]

[QUOTE=Magrus]Oh, I wouldn't want that, I missed having you around while you were wandering texas. Drunken curiousity is all. [/QUOTE]

Aww, that's sweet
Er, okay, better to be 'full of vodka' than full of 'excrement'

See.. this conversation evolved in much the same way that most of our dinner discussions do. We start of reasonably polite and then quickly degenerate

[Magrus]

[QUOTE=dragon wench]Aww, that's sweet
Er, okay, better to be 'full of vodka' than full of 'excrement'

See.. this conversation evolved in much the same way that most of our dinner discussions do. We start of reasonably polite and then quickly degenerate [/QUOTE]

So glad to be able to provide an example, I think...and definately better vodka than excrement. That'd be terribly disturbing.

[Rob-hin]

[QUOTE=dragon wench]For example, tonight my partner, ten-year-old son and I started off with Canada/US politics, [/QUOTE]

Your ten-year-old understands politics?

At our dinner table, a subject not suited for dinner table conversation must be burps and farts.
My mom hates it but my dad joins in just at hard.

Note: we do not fart at the dinner table.

[C Elegans]

As I was finishing dinner a little while ago, I began to wonder if other people had conversations while eating that might be questionable in "polite" company

For example, tonight my partner, ten-year-old son and I started off with Canada/US politics, then moved to a conversation about chicken drumsticks (which is my son's latest euphemism for his lower quarters) and by the end of the meal we had somehow ended up discussing dung beatles....

I am not sure what upbringing you have or what etiquette norms are common where you live, but none of the topics above would be classified as non-polite in Europe, except maybe among very old and conservative people who would oppose to the dung beatles if their dung-related activities were dicussed in detail.

In most of European culture, especially perphaps in the South and the East, dinner is the family's main time for dicussions. Why do you think Italians, Bosnians or Hungarians eat all night?

In Sweden and other Northwest countries, I think 30-40 years ago you could have found some old farmer wives who think people should keep quiet while eating.

If you want to be polite, you should avoid talking about body fluids like vomit and excrements, detailed descriptions of accidents or diseases that include things that sensitive people may feel disgusted about such as blood, pus, intestines etc. So avoid descriptions of you ill childs diaharrea.

Does anyone else here routinely enjoy bizarre dinner discussions with their families, roomies, or.. pets?

Sure. Since much of my social life occurs in the form of dinners (everybody needs to eat even if they are very busy!), I almost enjoy excellent discussions with friends, colleagues, family or any combination of the three. We talk about the usual stuff - politics, arts, science, world events, our jobs, our interestest, our relationships, recent thoughs and ideas we have, experiences...could be anything from "look, I found this disgusting abscess on my leg, it has little green dots on, what do you think it can be?" to what should be done about the HIV-epidemia South of Sahara or "have you read this excellent book by Jelinek" or "I am considering killing my boss". It's usually nothing bizarre over my dinner conversation, although the other day when I was out with a friend, her 14-year old daughter called on her mobile and said "Hi mom, I'm at daddy's, he's not at home and I'm going to take out his new motorbike. I just wanted to say that if I don't call back within 2 hours, I'm dead. Byebye mommy!"

[Robnark]

[QUOTE=Rob-hin]Your ten-year-old understands politics?[/QUOTE]
politicians do, so it can't be all that hard.

[frogus23]

I can assure you that discussing ten year old children's genitalia would be considered impolite over dinner in much of Britain.

That said, I am an extremely undecorous eater (picture the porridge scene from Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast' if you are able) and therefore try to eat alone as often as possible.

EDIT:

Had an incredibly surreal meal with a ten year old child (Joe) recently who insisted on being called 'Joseph of Aramathia' (sp?) and told me to eat using 'the force'.

[C Elegans]

[QUOTE=frogus23]I can assure you that discussing ten year old children's genitalia would be considered impolite over dinner in much of Britain.
[/QUOTE]

You are not Europe, you prudes

[Yeltsu]

Well, when I eat with my family (mom and dad) the dinner is usually very quiet, it is not that we think it should be like that, it just seems like we can't get a conversation started. This is especially the case if I eat alone with my mother, the dinner usually goes silent untill one of us asks a question which is usually answered by: "yeah", "okay", "nothing", "stuff" or "nah" --> end of conversation. Therefore I usually finish my food fast, and leave the table.

However, when I eat at my friends house (which I do about once ever two weeks) I have great conversations with both my friend and his family, we discuss anything from politics, to schoolwork, literature, and resonal experiences.

[VonDondu]

I had breakfast with my boyfriend a while ago. While eating, we discussed alchohol poisoning, the results of which can be seen in another message thread. I guess some people might consider that to be "bizarre".

[frogus23]

[QUOTE=C Elegans]You are not Europe, you prudes [/QUOTE]I'll accept your sarcasm when the Empire falls, nematode, and not before

[C Elegans]

[QUOTE=frogus23]I'll accept your sarcasm when the Empire falls, nematode, and not before [/QUOTE]

You mean, you accepted it like 80 years ago?

[Luis Antonio]

Once, my former boss described how was the morgue at one of the schools he went. That he saw a body opened, how it was, and the smell. I almost vomited... twas horrible. At home we usually dont care much about discussions - dad speaks little, mom will speak about church (never changes) or what he sang in the last sunday at church, sister will speak about her new job or will keep quiet if mom is asking her about her BF or BF nominee. I usually keep quiet too... Well, at table I usually eat.

[CM]

Always civil conversation which is acceptable infront of the pope.

[Thomas77]

The other day my girlfriend and her sister and I were all eating at a rather famous sea food restaraunt here in AZ and her sister mentioned something about someone finding part of a human finger in their chili that they had bought from a well known fast food joint (I won't mention the name as to prevent slander). I wasn't grossed out about it at the time, but since then I've gone to that same fast food joint for chili and as I was waiting in line, all I could think about was that dang finger. Needless to say, by the time I got to the ordering window I had changed my mind and had bought something a bit less meaty!. And the point of my story?! Well, I guess the point is, with us, anything goes....