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Original poster

To think eyeing up people's food is beyond rude?

113 replies

ButteredRadishes · 23/06/2025 17:26

My uncle will hoover his lunch and then stare at your plate like a hawk, and say stuff like "are you going to eat that roast potato?" Or he'll be looking at your packet of crisps and say "they look nice....". All the time eyeballs on the packet.

He actually made his 6 year old son cry at lunch on Sunday, we were out for a roast,and nephew was taking his toe , went to the loo,and whilst he was gone took his Yorkshire pudding (yes, I questioned it before he ate it and uncles response was "well, he's taking too long" and then he ate it. Nephew came back and was understandably upset.

it's fucking rude. Yes?

OP posts:
dentalflosser · 24/06/2025 09:38

“Sorry Uncle, you made me feel so uncomfortable with your behaviour last time we went out for a meal that I don’t want to go out again if you are going to be there.”
I feel sorry for the little nephew as this must happen to him a lot.

IfYouPutASausageInItItsNotAViennetta · 24/06/2025 09:34

June2025 · 24/06/2025 07:56

It’s like eating dinner with a dog

Even dogs usually only look longingly at the food and then hopefully up at you, waiting for the OK - they don't normally just help themselves unbidden.

101Alsatians · 24/06/2025 09:28

My XH used to take food off the baby's highchair tray 🤬 Fucking rank.

PreetyinPurple · 24/06/2025 09:22

IfYouPutASausageInItItsNotAViennetta · 24/06/2025 09:08

What?! So he had had (stolen) a second meal and then threw a tantrum because the other person got a replacement first meal - but he felt entitled to a third meal as some kind of reward for being a thief?!

Show quote history

Yes. He could be incredibly childish. He used to over eat/steal food/alcohol at others houses because it was ‘free’.
He wouldn’t see it would be a third meal, he’d also have made himself unwell and then blamed someone else.

DoubleTimeStep · 24/06/2025 09:20

What an absolute dickhead. I'd be blanking him from now on (with the exception of the occasional warning not to touch my food), this is who he is.

IfYouPutASausageInItItsNotAViennetta · 24/06/2025 09:17

I wonder if people who do this kind of thing display the same lack of boundaries elsewhere in life?

Do they merrily help themselves to money from somebody else's purse/wallet? Do they grab a colleague's car keys and take their car, as they haven't bothered to put any petrol in their own car? Do they help themselves to somebody else's coat, because it's wet and cold outside and they feel automatically much more important than the person who actually owns and brought their own coat?

I bet these are the exact same people who steal other people's lunch from the work fridge; probably don't even bother taking any in as they reckon that there's always a selection to choose from, so everybody wins... except for the people who paid for and brought their own lunch in and then have to go hungry, but they don't matter, eh??!

Do they play by the same rules if somebody steals their food? Do they shrug and think that they just should have been quicker to eat/protect their food? I bet they don't; I'm sure they're furious if anybody treats them with the same amount of disrespect as they routinely treat others with.

IfYouPutASausageInItItsNotAViennetta · 24/06/2025 09:08

PreetyinPurple · 24/06/2025 09:03

I’ve come across a few men like this. My friends BIL came for Christmas once and gorged himself all day, stole the children’s chocolate because he was ‘starving’ and complained how little food there was (there was tons) he was never invited again.

My own FIL was like this especially if he hadn’t paid. He stole someone’s entire meal once as they were called away and it was put in the oven. He snuck in the kitchen and ate it declaring that they ‘hadn’t wanted it’. He then had a tantrum because they got a second meal and he didn’t.

Greediness is unpleasant.

What?! So he had had (stolen) a second meal and then threw a tantrum because the other person got a replacement first meal - but he felt entitled to a third meal as some kind of reward for being a thief?!

MrsSkylerWhite · 24/06/2025 09:07

TreatTreat · 23/06/2025 17:31

Perfectly put.

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Yep

CuriousKangaroo · 24/06/2025 09:05

It’s beyond rude. But also, what kind of person takes food from their own child? He sounds awful.

PreetyinPurple · 24/06/2025 09:03

I’ve come across a few men like this. My friends BIL came for Christmas once and gorged himself all day, stole the children’s chocolate because he was ‘starving’ and complained how little food there was (there was tons) he was never invited again.

My own FIL was like this especially if he hadn’t paid. He stole someone’s entire meal once as they were called away and it was put in the oven. He snuck in the kitchen and ate it declaring that they ‘hadn’t wanted it’. He then had a tantrum because they got a second meal and he didn’t.

Greediness is unpleasant.

Bestfootforward11 · 24/06/2025 08:46

Clearly next time you’re all out, someone needs to eat his Yorkshire pudding!
My best friend broke up with a BF when he did similar re her last roast potato. It was the straw that broke the camel's back.

HeadNorth · 24/06/2025 08:39

bipbopdo · 24/06/2025 01:47

Going against the grain a bit here… Does your uncle have an eating disorder? He certainly has an unhealthy relationship with food. It’s really unusual for adult to behave like this and often there’s some underlying issue that needs to be addressed. Look up ‘food noise’.

Sounds like ‘food noise’ is the modern madey up term for greed. Are you going to diagnose the greedy guts as neurodivergent too?

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 24/06/2025 08:36

It’s disgusting behaviour. I’m surprised anyone is willing to be around people like this!

Cherrytree86 · 24/06/2025 08:34

He sounds greedy and disgusting.

Rabbitsockpeony · 24/06/2025 08:30

ButteredRadishes · 23/06/2025 18:06

It's like vultures circling sometimes.

I got so pissed off with him once, I just gave him my late if food, and pushed all the serving dishes and told him to fuck off trying to eat my food for me. And I left the house and brought back fish and chips.

He still came after my chips!!!

He has no shame.

I think there’s something wrong with him. Seriously.

PollyBell · 24/06/2025 08:16

I hate the im on a diet but we can share dessert, if i eat half of yours it doesnt count, i am obessed with food cabt stop talling about but want some of yours, no we cant

June2025 · 24/06/2025 07:56

It’s like eating dinner with a dog

Copperoliverbear · 24/06/2025 07:49

I think what he did to his child is absolutely disgusting, he’s a greedy B and if he has a wife she should grow a pair and tell him so and stop him eating off of his child’s plate, I would have also made him order the child a new Yorkshire pudding. I cannot abide greedy people.

IveGotAnUnusuallyLargePelvisISwear · 24/06/2025 07:40

Ugh. My sister was like this growing up. It was like eating dinner with a seagull. She’d take stuff right off my plate as well, didn’t care if anyone saw her and she never got bollocked for it.

pestowithwalnuts · 24/06/2025 07:35

PopThatBench · 23/06/2025 17:43

Oh my fucking god I hate this.
I have a family member who is like this with everything me and DP eat.
I’m mere weeks away from giving birth and the family member was desperately trying to get me to share my chocolate bar. It was 3pm and I hadn’t eaten all day so really needed sugar ASAP (we were doing baby prep and lost track of time).
I kid you not, “oh I haven’t had one of those in ages, they’re so nice, ooooo yummmm are going to eat it all now? I’m going to take that off you in a minute if you eat any slower! I’ll have to get myself one then from the shop. Can I have half of it?”
FUCK OFF.

Omg.!!!
A punch in the face would sort out out this shite behaviour.

Eldermileniummam · 24/06/2025 07:15

Not only eyeing up food but taking it yes I'd be livid.

Londonrach1 · 24/06/2025 07:12

Yanbu. It's very strange behaviour. Never heard of anyone who does that. Your uncle is rude and needs to learn table manners....I'd be tempted to serve him 20 mins after everyone else. Stop having him over to eat and tell him why. It's rude

InterestedDad37 · 24/06/2025 07:09

This calls for co-ordinated revenge - group or family meal, arrange a distraction that gets him away from the table, then steal/eat all his food 😀👍

OrangePineapple25 · 24/06/2025 07:02

My brother used to do that when I was a child and consequently I now eat far far too fast. He would take food from my plate and so I learnt to eat fast or lose it. I’m so self conscious about how fast I eat as an adult now.

EasternStandard · 24/06/2025 07:00

Op you’ll have to stick up for your dc. Say no more meals together unless he cuts it out.