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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think if you're invited for lunch you should leave shortly after lunch?

287 replies

purplebeansprouts · 03/11/2024 15:47

say you go round at 11 and then lunch is at12:30 I'd personally be making moves to leave at the most 1 hour after. aibu?

OP posts:
ThroughThickAndThin01 · 03/11/2024 15:59

I’d say leave at 4 ish

HeddaGarbled · 03/11/2024 15:59

Rude to leave almost as soon as you’ve finished eating. An hour from when you sit down in the comfy seats after lunch would be fine.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 03/11/2024 15:59

Firstly I've never been invited for lunch that early because none of my friends live in a hospital, nursing home or school. Secondly if you are serving lunch at 12:30 and want them to hit the road by 1:30 at latest, then I don't think that is a reasonable expectation unless you have spelled out in advance that you need them gone by 1:30.

Hankunamatata · 03/11/2024 15:59

No, esp if I haven't seen them in a while or they travelled a long distance. I'd want a natter and except them to leave around 4pm

Fireworkwatcher · 03/11/2024 15:59

Come for lunch and be gone well before it’s time to start thinking about tea (5pm onwards realistically ) so the host doesn’t feel obliged to offer . Probably about 4

Maray1967 · 03/11/2024 15:59

Same here- lunch at 1 ish, finished eating, chatting at the table by 2.30 ish, offer to help clear up/chat for another hour or so, leave by 4.

mynameiscalypso · 03/11/2024 15:56

I'd probably expect lunch to finish at around 1.30/2 and would probably hang around for a bit longer for tea/coffee. I'd expect to leave about 4

PorkPieandPickle · 03/11/2024 15:56

If I invite someone for dinner, I’d assume invitation extended to the evening to socialise afterwards. same with lunch; if I invite someone for lunch I would assume we would socialise afterwards for the afternoon. I would think someone rude if they came round for lunch and left after I fed them.

PotteringAlonggotkickedoutandhadtoreregister · 03/11/2024 15:55

Come for lunch, leave by 4pm

OakElmAsh · 03/11/2024 15:54

God no, coming for lunch for me could often mean hanging out till 3 or 4 pm 😂

JollyPinkFox · 03/11/2024 15:53

Depends heavily on context, I’d personally feel very rude if I went for lunch then left as soon as I’d eaten

jigglywigglyhungryhippo · 03/11/2024 15:53

I'd expect if the invite is to come at 11am, lunch at 12:30pm, then I'd be expecting to leave at 2-ish. You want to chat over lunch, not wolf down the food then rush off. I normally think 3 hour window, maybe 4 is the right amount of time if it's at someone's home.

Meeting at a restaurant, then 2-ish hours is suitable.

Obviously if host has someplace to be- then that would have been communicated earlier.