What’s a “Doggy Bag”?

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The term “doggy bag” originated from people bringing home table scraps for their dogs, often using a paper bag. Nowadays, it is used to take home leftovers, and restaurants provide foam or plastic containers. The phrase is more common in England and the US, but the practice is less common in England due to smaller portions. Restaurants now provide containers for customers to take home leftovers.

Before it was common practice for people to feed their dogs dog food, they often gave them table scraps instead. This practice was continued whenever people ate at a restaurant, and many people carried a paper bag with them to take leftovers home. As such, this sack came to be known as the “doggy bag”. The term is still used today, and many restaurants provide foam or plastic containers for their customers rather than paper bags.

At one time, people fed their pets table scraps instead of buying them dog food. Whenever pet owners ate out, they took this fact into consideration and often brought along a paper bag to put table scraps in, usually a few leftover bits of meat or potatoes or even bones in some cases. A restaurant owner would often put more leftovers from the kitchen into the paper bag, especially if it was very close to closing time.

As it is now more common to feed dogs dog food, the purpose of a doggy bag has changed. People still take home leftovers, but they do it to eat some food at another time. This is often because the portions served are too large to consume in one setting and diners do not wish to waste their money on food they are unable to consume.

It’s unclear where the term “doggy bag” comes from, although many believe it’s an old English saying. This may be partly because this idiom is more common in England and the United States than in other parts of the world. Although the phrase is recognized throughout England, many people no longer adhere to the practice because portions in restaurants are much smaller than in the United States

Even though people still bring home leftovers, they usually don’t bring their own doggy bag. This is because many restaurants are used to this practice and provide special containers for their customers to store their food. These are typically foam boxes with hinged lids or plastic containers with snap lids. A paper bag can still be used whenever people dine at a fast food restaurant. These containers are typically provided free to guests, so people needn’t feel embarrassed when asking for one of these “to go boxes.”




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