The inevitable questions thread

AssaultedPeanut

Just read the whole thread "why do ppl hate veggies?" and now I've a bit of a headache (must be lack of protein and vitamins and omega oils...:P) and felt like something a bit more light hearted.

One of my good friends is vegetarian (I'm vegan) so veggie issues often come up in conversation when we're around eachother, and we usually end up reciting to eachother the recent ignorant, weird or down-right idiotic questions we get asked if we find ourselves in the situation when our eating habits are being questioned.


I've been asked:

"but....do you eat sausages?"

"what can you make with salad?"

"what do you eat when you go to McDonalds?" (surprisingly I've had this one a lot)

I know theres more but I can't think of them right now, anyway I wanted to hear about others experiences of this and have a giggle or just be shocked at how some peoples mind's work.

sweet-rasmus

from the last few months...
do you eat chicken?
do you eat feta cheese (i'm vegan)?
how about a prawn salad?
would you like the garlic mushrooms? (i explained to the waitress that surely there would be butter in that - oh yes, she replies)

meh. it's up to us to thoroughly explain the term (veggie/vegan). anyone unfamiliar with it will ask questions which seem silly to us. has to be accepted!

norrie rugger

sweet-rasmus wrote: »

meh. it's up to us to thoroughly explain the term (veggie/vegan). anyone unfamiliar with it will ask questions which seem silly to us. has to be accepted!

Very true!
You must remember that Veggie covers a very laarge spectrum of people (to non vegies like myself).
From people who will eat Fish and/or Fowl or eggs etc.
Also get people who will not eat meat but will wear wool/leather etc.


Can be confusing to our meat addled brains


Edit: also could be worse
Me: I thought that you were vegetarian?
Other: Yeah I am, why?
Me: why are you eating jellies, don't they have geletine?
Other: Sh*t

monkeyfudge

norrie rugger wrote: »

Very true!
You must remember that Veggie covers a very laarge spectrum of people (to non vegies like myself).
From people who will eat Fish and/or Fowl or eggs etc.

Those people need to read a dictionary. If someone says they're vegetarian you should assume they don't eat meat, poultry and fish and not assume they're someone who doesn't fully understand the word and calls themselves a vegetarian when they're not.

My father was out for an xmas meal recently... and was struggling with a foreign waitress to see what the chef could make him, another person at the table asked why he was getting special treatment and allowed to take something that wasn't on the set menu and the waitress turned and said: "This man has a problem, and we have to help people with problems,"

SAVE_ME.222

sweet-rasmus wrote: »

do you eat chicken?

I got this 1 asked a couple of times. What the feck do they think chickens are like, plants?

sweet-rasmus

monkeyfudge wrote:

"This man has a problem, and we have to help people with problems,"

lol!

SAVE_ME.222 - I think that peoples issue with chicken is that it is 'white meat' and so many people say they are veggie, then add, that they are basically not eating 'red meat'. I've heard it way too often...

SAVE_ME.222

sweet-rasmus wrote: »

lol!

SAVE_ME.222 - I think that peoples issue with chicken is that it is 'white meat' and so many people say they are veggie, then add, that they are basically not eating 'red meat'. I've heard it way too often...

Yeah you are right, it just annoys me because I think the cruelty to chickens is probably the worst among all farmyard animals. I got a good laugh out of it when I first went vegetarian and my dad asked me "well are you still gonna eat chicken"..

:eek: :pac:

rubadub

monkeyfudge wrote: »

Those people need to read a dictionary. If someone says they're vegetarian you should assume they don't eat meat, poultry and fish and not assume they're someone who doesn't fully understand the word and calls themselves a vegetarian when they're not.

I wonder which is more common though. If it is more common for people to claim they are veggies which does not agree with your definition -then it would be more sensible for people to presume that is the case.

There are probably devout catholics, laughing saying "yer man says he is catholic, but only last week I heard him take the lords name in vain as he was washing his car on the sabbath"

SAVE_ME.222 wrote: »

I got a good laugh out of it when I first went vegetarian and my dad asked me "well are you still gonna eat chicken"..

And I am sure many dads had a good laugh when their son/daughter replied "yes of course I will still eat chicken", or maybe they didn't laugh, as they realise people have different personal definitions, whether they agree with dictionaries or not. Many seem to be sneering and laughing at other peoples apparent ignorance, but they might not be ignorant in many cases.

I've heard it way too often...

Maybe most people have too, and are enquiring to see if you are ignorant yourself, or have a different definition to their own....

rockbeer

monkeyfudge wrote: »

Those people need to read a dictionary.

A dictionary might be the last thing they need. From the Oxford Compact English Dictionary:

"Vegetarian: A person who abstains from eating meat, and sometimes also fish, eggs and dairy products."

So apparently fish at least is OK as long as you choose the right dictionary.

bythewoods

I was recently at a function with a set menu.
There were 4 choices, including "Vegetarian Option".
So, without asking what exactly it was I chose that.
A few minutes later a plate of fish was presented to me.

How disgusted was I?

Some of the great questions include:
"How do you afford it?" (Vegetarianism is cheaper, dammit!)
"What about when you go on holidays? Do you eat meat then?"

etc etc

AssaultedPeanut

At this point I'd just like to say that this is meant as just a bit of fun, these are experiences we've had. Obviously not every meat-eater encountered drops clangers like these. Just a select few, so anyone who thinks they're being attacked or called stupid, Relax!!You're not

bythewoods wrote: »

"What about when you go on holidays? Do you eat meat then?"

Hahaha priceless:D Like being a veggie is work, holidays are meat feast time!

I remembered another one, it wasn't really a question it was more an exclamation of disbelief.

On hearing I don't eat meat, a college friend said the following:
"but like...a burger like" *makes shape of holding burger with hands while looking like she was about to burst into tears*

sweet-rasmus

bythewoods wrote: »

I was recently at a function with a set menu.
There were 4 choices, including "Vegetarian Option".
So, without asking what exactly it was I chose that.
A few minutes later a plate of fish was presented to me.

How disgusted was I?

!!!

SAVE_ME.222

bythewoods wrote: »

"How do you afford it?" (Vegetarianism is cheaper, dammit!)

lol, exactly. I was having sunday lunch in a pub with my friends a while ago and got a full plate of potatoes, carrots, turnips, parsnips, stuffing, etc for about €3. The exact same dish (for them) with a chicken fillet was €11 ????

sweet-rasmus

I think you were getting a good deal there! Usually a plate of veg would cost you more

Locomotion

I'm surprised this question hasn't come up yet:

What do you eat for Christmas dinner?!

I can't go a calendar year without getting asked that at least a dozen times!

Tar.Aldarion

Ah yeah get that, hilarious that somebody can't understand not eating a random bird on a random day.

Longerview

Locomotion wrote: »

I'm surprised this question hasn't come up yet:

What do you eat for Christmas dinner?!

I can't go a calendar year without getting asked that at least a dozen times!

They really can't help themselves,Christmas means... Christmas DINNER and Christmas dinner means TURKEY...and they HAVE to know "what do you do for Christmas dinner"...sad not to have an imagination..

Aoifums

Locomotion wrote: »

What do you eat for Christmas dinner?!

I can't go a calendar year without getting asked that at least a dozen times!

Really? I've only ever been asked this once.


I'm only ever asked

• What do you eat???

And if I'm half way through a bag of crisps, someone will always ask "Are you able to eat them?" It's like, no, but I just happen to be nearly finished the bag!!

I was talking to one of my cousins about how vegans have to check labels because there's milk in everythnig and another cousin turned and asked really confusdly "Do you eat meat?" So funny at the time.

Monkey61

Well as a very recent vegan I haven't had to field too many questions yet... explaining to my mother was hilarious though...

Mother: So you can eat eggs?
Me: No..no I can't.
Mother: Right. Are you sure you can't have meat? I mean, a cow is just like a walking tomato really.
Me: Sure, except the cow is a living animal
Mother: Ah but I'm sure they don't mind.
Me: Right, but no, no meat.
Mother: But if we didn't eat meat there wouldn't be any cows. They need us to eat them or they wouldn't exist.

Then I had to go and lie down in a quiet, darkened room for a while...

kraggy

bythewoods wrote: »

I was recently at a function with a set menu.
There were 4 choices, including "Vegetarian Option".
So, without asking what exactly it was I chose that.
A few minutes later a plate of fish was presented to me.

How disgusted was I?

Some of the great questions include:
"How do you afford it?" (Vegetarianism is cheaper, dammit!)
"What about when you go on holidays? Do you eat meat then?"

etc etc

I know, it's so proposterous, I sometimes wonder are they from Trigger Happy tv or something and trying to wind me up for entertainment.

Anyone from Galway here? Lohan's in Salthill have a "V" symbol beside a number of fish dises including tuna steak salad, scallops, prawns etc.

Unbelievable.

Whispered

I get annoyed by questions starting with "are you ALLOWED to eat...."

I usually reply with "of course I'm allowed" - confused faces. :rolleyes:

Wudyaquit

The most inevitable is surely "But, why?". The truth is obviously the easiest answer to this one, but sometimes you don't want to start into some discussion on morality with someone you've just met in a pub.
Anyone have the magic answer that gets people to leave you alone about it?

Whispered

We were at a function recently and my oh, who knows my reasons, asked another veggie why to see if it was different. The man replied: "I don't like to speak about it with people i don't know well, it makes me feel like i'm lecturing" which i thought was fair enough and obviously the voice of experience

sweet-rasmus

Wudyaquit wrote: »

Anyone have the magic answer that gets people to leave you alone about it?

I just tell people that I'm not going to go into it, but that they can look it up on the internet

AssaultedPeanut

I was asked a various array of questions yesterday by a work colleague.

It went something like this...

Colleague: Would you like a yoghurt raisin?
Me: No thanks
Colleague: ah go on
Me: No thank you
C: I thought you might like them coz you're all into that health food and stuff
Me: It's not health food, I'm Vegan
C: You're VEGAN? But it's only yoghurt
Me: Nope, no dairy or eggs thanks
C: But WHY? Do you eat fish? It's only a stupid fish
Me: No I dont eat fish either
C: What About tuna?
Me: ....no, it's a fish
C: ah but what if it's dolphin friendly tuna?
Me: but the tuna itself is fish!!!!
C: Yeah but it's not a dolphin

....a VERY important email arrived at this point...

-lala-

dementedsoul wrote: »

I was asked a various array of questions yesterday by a work colleague.

It went something like this...

Colleague: Would you like a yoghurt raisin?
Me: No thanks
Colleague: ah go on
Me: No thank you
C: I thought you might like them coz you're all into that health food and stuff
Me: It's not health food, I'm Vegan
C: You're VEGAN? But it's only yoghurt
Me: Nope, no dairy or eggs thanks
C: But WHY? Do you eat fish? It's only a stupid fish
Me: No I dont eat fish either
C: What About tuna?
Me: ....no, it's a fish
C: ah but what if it's dolphin friendly tuna?
Me: but the tuna itself is fish!!!!
C: Yeah but it's not a dolphin

....a VERY important email arrived at this point...

HA!!!!!!!!

That made my day.

Tom65

Wudyaquit wrote: »

The most inevitable is surely "But, why?". The truth is obviously the easiest answer to this one, but sometimes you don't want to start into some discussion on morality with someone you've just met in a pub.
Anyone have the magic answer that gets people to leave you alone about it?

I'd imagine "I'm allergic" would end the discussion.

Kooli

Wow the smugness and self-satisfaction in this thread is pretty amazing!

I'm glad you're all so pleased with yourselves, must feel good.

And that's pretty amazing that you can interpret a question about what you eat for Christmas dinner as some sort of pathetic lack of imagination - well I for one don't know what you would eat for Christmas dinner - yes I could use my imagination, and decide that you eat peas, rice and mango chutney. What the hell would the point of that be? I would ask because I would actually want to know the real answer!!

taram

Kooli wrote: »

Wow the smugness and self-satisfaction in this thread is pretty amazing!

I'm glad you're all so pleased with yourselves, must feel good.

And that's pretty amazing that you can interpret a question about what you eat for Christmas dinner as some sort of pathetic lack of imagination - well I for one don't know what you would eat for Christmas dinner - yes I could use my imagination, and decide that you eat peas, rice and mango chutney. What the hell would the point of that be? I would ask because I would actually want to know the real answer!!

:rolleyes: I usually answer 'oh everything but the meat, I eat all the veg and spuds and sauces, yum!' to which I still get blank looks and 'what, no turkey??? No ham???'. If it was a religious choice I'm sure I wouldn't get the Spanish inquistion.

actua11

I've been a veggie for a whole 2 months now and I finally got the 'What'll you be having for christmas question' (In Febuary) I seriously didn't think it existed outside this thread! Go figure:rolleyes:

Zwillinge

This thread gave ma few chuckles, even the smugness of us all

I think I was 5 or 6 and this was my first real questioning, me and my brother were being minded by an elderly lady.
Her: Now here's some ham.
Me: *shyly* No thank you. I don't eat meat.
Her: Why don't you eat meat? Go on, have some!
Me: No, I'm good, thank you.
Her: If you taste this you, you'll eat it forever. None of this veg-ma-thing.
Me: No thank you. I won't like it.
Her: *getting irritated, while holding a sharp knife* EAT IT!!
Me: *shakes head, starts crying*
Her: Oh...um...I'll get you some lettuce!
My brother: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! :rolleyes:

littlecbear

Monkey61 wrote: »

Well as a very recent vegan I haven't had to field too many questions yet... explaining to my mother was hilarious though...

Mother: So you can eat eggs?
Me: No..no I can't.
Mother: Right. Are you sure you can't have meat? I mean, a cow is just like a walking tomato really.
Me: Sure, except the cow is a living animal
Mother: Ah but I'm sure they don't mind.
Me: Right, but no, no meat.
Mother: But if we didn't eat meat there wouldn't be any cows. They need us to eat them or they wouldn't exist.

Then I had to go and lie down in a quiet, darkened room for a while...

Here is an opposing view:

When I was in my teens an intelligent classmate of mine asked about my vegetarianism. She commented that if we stopped eating cows then there would be too many of them!

It stuck with me for some reason.

axel rose

Well I suppose it explains why we are so overrun with dogs, cats, crows, worms...................

R.D. aka MR.D

I'm a somewhat recent veggie, a few months and still getting used to explaining things to people.

but earlier at work (i take food orders) a man actually got angry with me when i asked him to claify what he meant when he said he wanted all the meals he'd ordered to be vegan. how dare i have the cheek to make sure wasn't getting something he didn't want to eat.:eek:

as we all know there are different interpretations and one vegan might eat something that another wouldn't.

so go easy on people who ask questions that might seem silly.

I've found most of the questions people ask me are just in an effort to understand what I mean or my reasons and a lot of it is just plain curiosity. Most people can't imagine a meat free life, it's the way a large percentage of people are brought up.

Although i'll never understand why most people assume you still eat chicken

bythewoods

R.D. aka MR.D wrote: »

Although i'll never understand why most people assume you still eat chicken

I know!
That really grates me.

"I'm a vegetarian"
..."So do you eat chicken then? Fish?"

Zwillinge

As I was told the other day, "Fish isn't actually meat!"

Aoifums

I've been told chicken isn't meat because chickens aren't really animals.

Mentalmiss

I have a friend who says "I do not eat anything that has a face".
She eats chicken and fish.
I do not understand that. Surely a chicken has a face. Even a fish has a face.

Aoifums

Mentalmiss wrote: »

"I do not eat anything that has a face".

I hate people saying that. So many things that I will happily tuck into have "faces". Potatoes have eyes, heads of lettuce, etc. Then people try to outsmart you by bringing up the potato/lettuce thing. Much easier to not say that then have to argue with someone.

rubadub

sweet-rasmus wrote: »

would you like the garlic mushrooms? (i explained to the waitress that surely there would be butter in that - oh yes, she replies)

They could well be made with just veg oil, butter is expensive, she might not have known so was just avoiding an argument by just agreeing and not bothering to ask. The use of "explained" and "surely", sounds like you were being patronising to the woman, rather than just asking if there was butter in them. Many people are ignorant and tip toe around the subject, and from reading some posts here I do not blame them one bit.

R.D. aka MR.D wrote: »

Although i'll never understand why most people assume you still eat chicken

bythewoods wrote: »

I know!
That really grates me.

"I'm a vegetarian"
..."So do you eat chicken then? Fish?"

It was already explained earlier on...

norrie rugger wrote: »

You must remember that Veggie covers a very laarge spectrum of people (to non vegies like myself).
From people who will eat Fish and/or Fowl or eggs etc.

Lots of people who call themselves "veggies" eat meat.

Locomotion wrote: »

What do you eat for Christmas dinner?!

I can't go a calendar year without getting asked that at least a dozen times!

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Ah yeah get that, hilarious that somebody can't understand not eating a random bird on a random day.

Longerview wrote: »

"what do you do for Christmas dinner"...sad not to have an imagination..

It is not a random day, it is christmas day and they have a traditional meal on that day and are simply making conversation and wondering if you prepare something special for that day too. It is one day where people do tend to do something special, what is wrong with asking about it? is it really so funny and sad?

A lot of the more bizarre questions could well be people taking the piss, I have seen this many times, guys winding people up with all sorts of stupid questions.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

Aoifums wrote: »

I hate people saying that. So many things that I will happily tuck into have "faces". Potatoes have eyes, heads of lettuce, etc. Then people try to outsmart you by bringing up the potato/lettuce thing. Much easier to not say that then have to argue with someone.

I say it ironically, but I make sure to add "or a profile" just to get around the fish issue, or fishue if you will.

But generally if someone asks me ANY question about why or how I follow a diet which is drastically different from the vast majority of people in the Western world I'm too paralysed with shock mingled with scorn to even respond.

Mentalmiss

Jase Melodic Public wrote: »

But generally if someone asks me ANY question about why or how I follow a diet which is drastically different from the vast majority of people in the Western world I'm too paralysed with shock mingled with scorn to even respond.

It has been pointed out to me in company that my diet was not NORMAL.
I replied that it was not.
I said that NORMAL at my age was to be overweight, have high blood pressure, heartburn, watching for cancer or heart disease or other diseases and that I had no wish to be NORMAL.

Kooli

Jase Melodic Public wrote: »

I say it ironically, but I make sure to add "or a profile" just to get around the fish issue, or fishue if you will.

But generally if someone asks me ANY question about why or how I follow a diet which is drastically different from the vast majority of people in the Western world I'm too paralysed with shock mingled with scorn to even respond.

I am baffled by this - why would you be paralysed with shock and scorn by a question about a lifestyle choice you have made that is uncommon and someone wants to know more about?

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5

Yeah, makes more sense if you pick up on the sarcasm though :P

Miss No Name

I love when people ask me questions. It shows that they are interested - rather than just shrugging the whole thing off as stupid.

I am very proud of myself as a veggie and I want people to know my reasons for not eating meat. You never know - you might even get people thinking about cutting meat out of their diet. Most people you talk to will tell you that as a teenager they tried being a vegetarian, so they are not alien to the idea.

Be happy veggies and spread the good word - consider it your good fortune to be able to educate the nation on vegetarianism. All those stupid people that ask you stupid questions about fish and chickens will never ask them again if you put them right

Sapsorrow

dementedsoul wrote: »

Just read the whole thread "why do ppl hate veggies?" and now I've a bit of a headache (must be lack of protein and vitamins and omega oils...:P) and felt like something a bit more light hearted.


Sh*t sorry I started that thread, can't believe you read the whole thing well done I didn't make it that far! not suprised you have a headache, I was new to blogging back then and was a bit naive, I didn't expect a load of non-veggies to be hanging around a veggie forum looking for a debate! It's sad it turned out that way but also beautifully ironic I think.


I've been asked:

"but....do you eat sausages?"

"what can you make with salad?"

"what do you eat when you go to McDonalds?" (surprisingly I've had this one a lot)

quote]

Don't forget in the movie everyting is illuminated with elisia woods, he's a young jewish american visiting eastern europe (think it's ukraine not sure) to trace his family back or something and he's in a motel and asks for something without meat, his guide translates to the waitress explaining he's a strange american who doesn't eat meat, she eyes him suspiciously for a minute before simply asking the guide ' why, whats wrong with him?'
Brilliantly portrayed methinks!
Oh and in the end she brings him out a single boiled potatoe on a plate with nothing else on it!

Steffi

I get all the inevitable questions, and I don't mind answering the questions of curious people but its people's general misconceptions about how veganism or even just vegetables work annoy me.
For example, the last time I got a deli counter roll, just bread with all the limited number of salad fillings, no sauce, butter, cheese, eggs or meat, just a few vegetables on bread (they didn't even have hummus!). I was horrified to look at the price label to see that I was being charged full price for a 'meat and salad' roll. When I asked the management they said that 'two salads make a meat'- that's not how nature works!
Also in the Bagel Bar, asking for a vegan bagel, the vegetarian bagel without butter or cheese. They just stared at me for a few seconds and said 'but we have riccotta'. Riccotta isn't a plant!

CathyMoran

Steffi wrote: »

I get all the inevitable questions, and I don't mind answering the questions of curious people but its people's general misconceptions about how veganism or even just vegetables work annoy me.
For example, the last time I got a deli counter roll, just bread with all the limited number of salad fillings, no sauce, butter, cheese, eggs or meat, just a few vegetables on bread (they didn't even have hummus!). I was horrified to look at the price label to see that I was being charged full price for a 'meat and salad' roll. When I asked the management they said that 'two salads make a meat'- that's not how nature works!
Also in the Bagel Bar, asking for a vegan bagel, the vegetarian bagel without butter or cheese. They just stared at me for a few seconds and said 'but we have riccotta'. Riccotta isn't a plant!

I can understand - I would be a pesci-ovo-lacto-vegetarian (yes, we do exist - eat fish, eggs, milk) but was looking for a pannini with extra mushrooms - I got charged extra even though the normal pannini has meat, luckily my husband queried it and they reduced the price.

-lala-

CathyMoran wrote: »

I would be a pesci-ovo-lacto-vegetarian (yes, we do exist - eat fish, eggs, milk)

We know you exist - your existence is what leads many people to believe that vegetarians eat fish!

The term you are looking for, however, is pescetarian.

CathyMoran

-lala- wrote: »

We know you exist - your existence is what leads many people to believe that vegetarians eat fish!

The term you are looking for, however, is pescetarian.

It is the first time that I have heard of that term, I do know that the term I used is also valid and more descriptive - I would give up fish as well but I have a limited enough diet as is (due to certain medical conditions) - I get asked, "sure you will have some chicken?", I don't eat that!

Tar.Aldarion

You are a lacto ovo pescetarian. One of the reasons people ask if you want chicken is pescetarians say they are vegetarian but yet they eat meat(fish). Fish is seen as different to meat by a lot of people, similarly chicken is seen as different from red meat so people think we eat that.