What is a doggy bag in the UK?
a small bag that a restaurant provides so that you can take home any food you have not finished.
Definition of doggie bag
: a container for leftover food to be carried home from a meal eaten at a restaurant.
People then started asking for doggy bags when eating out at a restaurant. The term originates from the idea that a customer may feel embarrassed to ask for a bag for leftover food for themselves so they say it is for the dog at home. The term became more popular in the 1970s.
To take the food away, the diner might request a container, or ask a server to package it. Such a container is colloquially called a doggy bag or doggie bag. This most likely derives from a pretense that the diner plans to give the food to a pet, rather than eat it themselves, and so may be a euphemism.
Doggy bags are part and parcel of eating out in the US. But many British diners struggle with the idea of asking to take their leftovers home, something campaigners want to change. In the UK, it is a rarely heard request.
| doggie bag | goody bag |
|---|---|
| leftovers | tidbit bag |
The modern doggie bag came about in the 1940s. With the United States engaged in World War II, food shortages were a fact of daily life on the home front—and for the sake of economy, pet owners were encouraged to feed table scraps to their pets.
Paul Kovi may not be aware of the cachet doggy bagging had as early as the 1800's. Cookbook author Roy Andries de Groot relates from his research, "I believe it was the great Alexandre Dumas who invented the idea of the doggy bag.
Most doggie bags or doggy bags today are actually boxes. In fact, a server will most likely ask if you would care for a box, not a doggie bag. The spelling doggie bag is about twice as popular as the spelling doggy bag, though both spellings are acceptable according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Also, be aware that the doggie bag is more of an American custom. If you're traveling abroad, be sure to bone up on the dining habits of wherever it is you're visiting. The last thing you want is to be in a strange land and let people think your table manners are for the dogs.
Where does doggie bag come from?
The History of the Restaurant Doggy Bag
In fact, in the early 40s, hotels in Seattle, Washington gave their diners wax paper bags with the label "Bones for Bowser" specifically for leftovers for pets. In time, other restaurants around the country adopted the practice, too.
Paul Kovi may not be aware of the cachet doggy bagging had as early as the 1800's. Cookbook author Roy Andries de Groot relates from his research, "I believe it was the great Alexandre Dumas who invented the idea of the doggy bag.
In one word, yes! Throughout the year we have tested the dog dry bag on the beach, in the countryside, in lakes, rivers, and post shower, and on every occasion, the Pawdaw dog drying bag has made wet dog ownership way, way less stressful!
