When have we eaten from the same dish?

Boys eating from the same piece of fruit

"When have we eaten from the same dish?" (Spanish: ¿Cuándo hemos comido en el mismo plato?) is a Spanish idiom said to someone who has caused irritation or offense by acting too informally.[1] It is usually made as hierarchical social commentary about poor manners or incivility,[2] said to someone perceived to be acting above their social standing, position, class or rank.

Background

Place settings are conspicuous in this 1920 sketch by reporter-artist Marguerite Martyn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

According to José María Sbarbi, in his dictionary of proverbs,[3] the saying comes from a great lord who organized a feast. At the table, the place makers required that each lady had a gentleman by her side. For each couple there was only one dish, a single glass and a single knife, even though the couples were strangers. The talent of the host was to place the guests in such a way that the familiarity between them was pleasing to both.[4]

Human social relationships and rituals are built upon food and its consumption.[5] Traditionally, sharing food has suggested a level of intimacy between the people sharing the meal.[6] The expression is used as a cutting remark;[7] when asking if two people are eating from the same plate, what one is really saying is, "are we on such familiar terms that you can treat me with disrespect?"[1][4]

In many countries, family and friends often ate from a communal bowl. With that came a whole set of customs and expectations.[2][5] Shared food is one of the most intimate and generous acts.[8] People sit to eat with their family and friends, and to celebrate special occasions.[9]

Variants

Similar phrases are used in various languages.

  • German: Ich kann mich nicht erinnern, dass wir schon mal zusammen Schweine gehütet haben. (I don't recall us having kept pigs together before.)[10]
  • French: Nous n'avons pas gardé les cochons ensembles. (We have not kept pigs together.)[11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Dichos Populares. Su significado". Fundación Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes (in Spanish). Retrieved 2015-02-15.
  2. 1 2 Salcedo, Marisol (2017-03-26). "Comer en el mismo plato". Diario Córdoba (in Spanish). Retrieved 2015-02-15.
  3. ↑ José María Sbarbi y Osuna (1891). Monografía sobre los refranes, adagios y proverbios castellanos y las obras ó fragmentos que expresamente tratan de ellos en nuestra lengua. Impr. y litografía de los Huérfanos. reimpreso en Madrid: Atlas, 1980 {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  4. 1 2 "¿Cuándo hemos comido en el mismo plato?". 1de3 (in Spanish). 2010-11-14. Archived from the original on 12 July 2011. Retrieved 2015-02-15.
  5. 1 2 Fresco, Louise O. (2015-11-26). "Why We Eat Together". The Atlantic Monthly. Retrieved 2019-02-19. Communal dining is a quintessential human experience.
  6. ↑ "Does "dipping into the dish" have any cultural implications in the Judas betrayal story?". November 22, 2012.
  7. ↑ Jaramillo, Pedro (1998). Liturgia: de pobreza a comunicación. Barcelona, Spain: Centre de Pastoral Litúrgica. p. 71. ISBN 9788474674859.
  8. ↑ Vidal, Pau (2017-09-11). "Cuando compartir significa comer todos de un mismo plato". Inicio > Desde la misión > Opinión (in Spanish). Alfa y Omega. Retrieved 2015-02-15.
  9. ↑ Delistraty, Cody C. (2014-07-18). "The Importance of Eating Together". The Atlantic Monthly. Retrieved 2019-02-19. Family dinners build relationships, and help kids do better in school.
  10. ↑ "German Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions (and their English Equivalents) Flashcards in India Lee's German Vocabulary Collection". Brainscape. Retrieved 2026-07-04.
  11. ↑ "Nous n'avons pas gardé les cochons ensemble". Expressions Francaises.
  • "Spanish Proverbs". Archived from the original on 2001-07-18.
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