Leftovers - Doggy Bag

Doggy Bag

Leftovers from a restaurant meal may either be left behind to be discarded by the restaurant, or taken away by the diner for later consumption. In order to take the food away, the diner may make a request for it to be packaged. The container used for such leftovers is commonly called a doggy bag or doggie bag. It is speculated that this derives from the euphemistic pretense that the food will be given to the diner's pet, rather than eaten by a person. However it may also be a corruption of the East Anglian term docky, meaning lunch. The term doggy bag is preferred over take away or take home bag as it was popularized in the 1970s etiquette columns of many newspapers. Doggy bags are most common in restaurants that offer a take-out food service as well as sit-down meals, and their prevalence as an accepted social custom varies widely by location. In some countries, especially in Europe, people would frown upon a diner asking for a doggy bag.