To think that the question 'why are you a vegetarian' is exceptionally rude

[Partypartyrings]

I've had twenty-five years of it and I'm hacked off with it.

I don't give one flying shit what you eat, so why is what I eat so interesting?

Being a vegetarian is not something exotic, surely you've heard/met one before, don't bloody ask me, use your imagination.

And no, I don't fucking miss bacon, in fact it makes me heave.

And no, what I choose to eat is not some sort of judgement on what you eat so stop being so defensive about it.

Develop some manners- it is rude to question/comment on what somebody is eating.

Grr. There. Public service announcement over.

Oh heavens. What the fuck are you supposed to talk to people about if you can't show an interest in their beliefs?

You sound frightening.

I think the bile displayed here towards vegetarians shows that often there is an aggressive, accusatory manner behind the questions

Ok. Well. I think the rudeness and snippy curtness being shown by you is absolutely bloody typical of you twatarianists. I don't care why you are one but I do wish you'd just put a sock in it!

Why can't you eat wheat and other grains and foods with gluten in?

This is a question I often get and am happy to answer.

It is because eating gluten makes me very ill.

There is surely a simple answer a vegetarian is prepared to give?

Bile? Show me the bile!

MoreBeta,

That's pretty much what I say when someone asks me why I'm vegetarian. I was brought up veggie. When I tried meat and fish (not together), I didn't like it and was violently ill. People keep telling me that I ought to start off small and eat bits of it in order to adapt, but I really don't want to. That's when I get cross and want to shout 'What part of 'I don't like it and I get VIOLENTLY ILL did you not understand?'

So I'm kind of with those who say 'Don't ask when you're about to tuck into a meal.'

I also sort of understand where the OP is coming from. A few times, it is fine, you answer politely, but when it gets to be somewhere near what feels like the 6000th time, your patience might snap especially if, out of those 6000 times, 3000 times it is asked in a judgmental way.

I'm on the fence myself.

Bile ? There is a fair bit on this thread actually, I don't really think saying rudeness is typical of "twatatarianists" is bile-free to give a recent example.

(Also, how can anything be "typical" of vegetarians given most of this thread is dedicated to all the different reasons people are vegetarian?)

People have nbagged me to eat meat - I have never tried to 'convert' anyone to 'twatarianism' or tried to put them off whatever they choose to eat.

I've always just assumed people were politely making conversation on the rare occasions I've been asked. I just answer that I'm not comfortable eating animals, but don't mind at all other people eating meat around me. It's not a particularly personal question and tbh the people asking probably don't give a shit about the answer.

I think "twatatarians" can be vegetarian or carniverous, actually! I certainly know some in both camps!

I understand why you are annoyed.

I have a friend who is 6'8"

Everywhere he goes, every day, every person (almost) he encounters comments on his height. It drove me mad. He dealt with it with good grace and politeness - he is a lovely man. But my limited experience of it drove me crazy - everyone asking the same question every day.

I think it's partly because he was "different" in a stand out way and party because so many people think and speak at the same time.

Soooo the next person who tells me they're on a calorie controlled diet:

Bet you miss cake, don't you? Big, squidge chocolate cake!
Go one - just a bit of cheese. You know you want to!

Or in my brothers case
High blood pressure diet? Gaw on - salty salty salt! You know you want those salty crackers! Don't you miss salt?

I bet OP comes across very badly when she says why's she's vegetarian. And that's what sparks bad feeling. I bet she has an exceptionally weird reason or strongly held feelings about it. Bit like Xenia's opinions on housewives.

Come on OP, tell us why you're Vegetarian.

YABU. That is all.

ethelb - showing what most people have as misconceptions.

you don't have to cook a separate meal - cook a meal that makes the meat separately, and then put the meat on the meat-eaters' plates. (eg, don't make spag bol or shepherd's pie for a dinner party - make meat and two veg or similar - if you make a lasagne, make it with vegetables instead of mince etc - even sunday roast dinners are easy - roast the veg in sunflower oil and make the gravy from bisto from the boiled veg water, and then just serve the meat at the table))

most cheese these days is veggie - it's the rennet. the only real exceptions now are the italian hard cheeses, and the sainsbury's bloody cheap version of it is veggie.

likewise, it takes as long to look for "vegetarian" on a bottle of wine as it does to look for the strength - most supermarket's home brands are veggie, and cheaper because of it.

FrontPaw - yy! I don't ask someone why they make their lifestyle choices, so why should they ask me?

and I like squidgy chocolate cake cake.

and asking at meals is most likely to be asked in a protagonistic way - it's not done out of curiosity, it's done deliberately to wind up the person - "oooh, look, I'm about to eat the burned carcass of a murdered animal, now tell me why you think it's wrong that I'm doing it"
how else would it be meant? apart from to make the person look like they're trying to be really smug and judgemental!

Twatitarians I took to mean a twat regardless of diet!

Some replies are really funny:) thanks, been a crap day.

If someone orders a non meat dish on the menu I don't automatically assume they are vegetarian - they might just love risotto. If they come to my house and I am cooking I will ask or they tell me they are a veggie. I am sometimes interested in why depending on the person so if I feel like it ask why. No one has stormed off yet, in fact they seem quite ok with being asked.

I did meet a vegan once who bored me to death droning on about how hard it was to find non leather shoes, he kept popping vitamins as well whilst talking. His gf was at buffet stuffing turkey down standing up:)

You still eat chicken though right?

and wafer thin ham??

Perhaps the answer is to reply "Why are you not?" and leave them with that.

I usually order vegetarian main courses because meaty main courses (in pubs) are just too meaty. And I like vegetables.

Nice thing is I don't have to wonder about the glaze on party rings or what odd thing went into the wine.

I find it interesting. My vegan friend loved talking about it and it would occur to me that someone would be offended by me talking about their beliefs.

This is mumsnet though innit.

Wouldn't occur to me I mean!

I eat veggie a lot but I ain't a vegetarian.

I like to think I'm not a twatifarian too.