Picky bits?

[HelenInHeels]

I hate this! I saw it on a M&S advert and it gave me the willies. I don't know why it sounds gross but it puts me off food as does 'dirty' fries. Yeuch!

Supper. Because it’s less formal than dinner and we don’t bother sitting at the table.

A buffet is larger than picky bits IMO.
I wouldn't call 4 dishes of different food a buffet, I would call them picky bits depending on what they were.
A buffet would be 10 or more different dishes in larger quantities.
I call tapas - tapas.
Antipasto - antipasto/charcuterie.

I've only heard of the terms "picky bits" or "picky tea" quite recently. Firstly on a Jane McDonald radio show. Is it a north country expression? I usually say buffet or maybe tell everyone we'll just be eating up what's left in the fridge!

You'd eat it at some wanky gastro pub as a 'sharer' though probably

The lines are more than blurred when it comes to class. A simple turn of phrase isn't enough to signify anything at all.

Looking down your nose at the phrase "picky bits" sounds very pretentious. Enjoy your Ocado buffets/picnics/party food or fucking PICKY BITS (as they are!!)

Hate the term "Makes my teeth itch". I have never heard anyone say that irl. It doesn't make sense whereas picky bits does.

Ooooh I like that!

It's "if it's" her. As in if it's in the fridge use it up.

"Bread and bits" is what we call it in our house. Because it's always some nice bread and whatever is needing to be eaten before it goes off 🤣

I went right off a BBC weather presenter after he admitted to a "picky tea" on boxing day.

There's just something about the phrase that's just so naff along with "party food".

Definitely only heard it from English people

I don't mind the phrase, 'picky tea'. Doesn't worry me at all and it's my favourite type of meal - I get bored by huge plates of one type of food so lots of bits is great. I tend to call it 'bits and bobs'.

Yep me too … for me because people say “Don’t pick (at your scabs)” or “No picking” so it’s hard to associate picking / picky bits with anything other than that! So yeah “picky bits” sounds gross.

Just realising picky bits is decanting old stuff from the fridge 😂 I don’t like that and as I shop and cook we don’t have it.

When we have a lazy supper - on Sundays if we have a roast dinner at lunchtime - it’s still planned. A cheeseboard and charcuterie with a couple of salads, or all the bits for a make-your-own ploughman’s or a soup with a selection of breads and toppings. It all gets laid out in the kitchen and we choose what we want from the selection. Most importantly, nobody needs to cook anything.

Sounds grim

We've always called it 'a spread'.

Our family call it a 'choosy tea'. As a child, I didn't even realise it was just called that in our house until I said it at a friend's house and they laughed and said 'a what?'.

Does England not have regions within it?

I hate it too. Never heard it growing up, it was always a ‘party tea’ in my house or also had it referred to as a beige buffet. It’s referred to as a picky tea where I am now (north England) which I don’t find as bad as picky bits. Bits just makes me think of genitals, not of food!

Just doing similar to posters who think uk=england.

nice to reciprocate the sentiment from time to time

We call it a 'bitsa'

Because (obviously) it's bits 'a this and bits 'a that.

I'm in my 60s and rapidly realising my family are weird. We grew up thinking things were perfectly normal and realising now they weren't!

Now I have images of people picking at their genitals 😂

My parents call it “bread and cheese”, even if neither of those things appear, though they’re usually in there somewhere.

DD calls it “platter”.

Can’t abide “picky bits” but I’m against “bits” anyone. “Went into town for some bits.” “Got some food bits at the shop.” Aaargh.

Which region do the picky bits people come from? That might be interesting to look into.