How do you indicate someone has food on their face?

October 25, 2004 1:15 AM

If you are out for a meal with someone, and that particular someone happens to have food stuck on their face, how do you indicate this to them non-verbally? [mi]
posted by chronic sublime to Society & Culture (10 answers total)

Point to the item on your own face, mirroring theirs.
posted by Keyser Soze at 2:47 AM on October 25, 2004

Pointing to your face just leads to those confusion. What's wrong with just saying "You've got a little something there?" If you know this person well enough to dine with them, surely you can point something like that out without causing undue embarrasment?
posted by benzo8 at 3:05 AM on October 25, 2004

I remember Miss Manners suggested "I can't really tell but I think you might have a small dab of mustard on your chin."

I try non-verbal communication for this but it never works.
posted by grouse at 3:28 AM on October 25, 2004

Reach across and gently remove it with a napkin, while (subtly) smiling like you think them having food on their face is charming, be careful not to look like you're smirking. It accomplishes three things 1) allows you to get that awkward first physical touch out of the way if this is a first date, 2) shows you're gentle and considerate and 3) defuses a potentially embarrassing moment for her.
posted by tetsuo at 4:52 AM on October 25, 2004

just lean over and lick it off. Trust me.
posted by Pericles at 4:56 AM on October 25, 2004

stare...
posted by mattr at 6:13 AM on October 25, 2004

RRrr.... Pericles, you beat me to it!
posted by Caviar at 6:23 AM on October 25, 2004

I look at the person intently and brush my finger across my own face in the mirror spot where the food is. But I don't see a problem with saying, "You've got some [food] on your face. Right there .. nope, a little to the left .. yeah, you got it."

What's worse, a little embarrassment you both may feel in the moment, or them going to the restroom before you leave the restaurant, seeing the [food], and wondering how long it had been there, how many other people saw it there, and why you didn't say something?
posted by initapplette at 6:53 AM on October 25, 2004

I think between me and Pericles we nailed the bad Men's Fitness article tone perfectly.
posted by tetsuo at 10:07 PM on October 25, 2004

Response by poster: So much for the [more inside], what a pain to have a computer freeze up like that.

Thanks for the responses, although I'm not sure if anyone's helped me settle a discussion with my partner. Guess we will just have to come to a decision on what we really mean when we point to that side of the face, damnit.
posted by chronic sublime at 12:05 AM on October 26, 2004