To nose burp or not to nose burp

November 1, 2006 4:31 PM

What are you supposed to do if you have to burp? Say you are at a pub sitting at a table with some people drinking a pint and the beer makes you need to burp regularly. I've done the ol' burp with the mouth closed and let it out through the nose, but I thought I'd ask MeFi.

My particular concerns about the nose burp are that 1, people can probably still tell that I'm burping although trying to suppress it, 2, it may smell just as bad as a regular burp or worse coming through the nose, and 3 (related to 2) is that I wonder if mucus in the nose makes exhaling through the nose smell as say, tonsilloliths in the tonsils would make exhaling through the mouth smell.

posted by dino terror to Society & Culture (19 answers total)

In my group of friends we burp and then grade it or try to top it. I guess other circles may be a little more high brow.
posted by nadawi at 4:35 PM on November 1, 2006 [1 favorite]

I don't know about the science of nose burp, but I am pretty sure it's way less noticeable and gross that just letting it out. If I see someone supressing a burp, I don't even think about it, though I'm sure it happens. I don't think about it to the point that I can remember only hearing/seeing one person burp specifically and that is someone who just lets it out in the office. Over and over and over again. It is truly gross.
posted by Airhen at 4:35 PM on November 1, 2006

Oh, P.S. What Nadawi's saying is OK to me. I'm just speaking about out in public among strangers or at work.
posted by Airhen at 4:36 PM on November 1, 2006

Response by poster: OK say I was at a nice quiet dinner and I had to nose burp. Would I say excuse me after or just try not to draw attention to it?
posted by dino terror at 4:41 PM on November 1, 2006

Best answer: Turn head
Put fist in front of mouth as though coughing or clearing throat
Burp quietly
Exhale through mouth or nose
Say "pardon me"
posted by stefanie at 4:45 PM on November 1, 2006

Best answer: It's like coughing. Cover your nose and say "excuse me".
posted by nomis at 4:45 PM on November 1, 2006

Snap.
posted by nomis at 4:46 PM on November 1, 2006

You drink beer/eat food, eventually you have to burp. It's not like everyone else doesn't have that problem.

The secret is, don't be crass about it. Let the gas out through your nose, hold your hand up to your mouth (just like when you cough), quietly mumble "exscuse me", and get on with your pint. Nobody will think less of you for it.
posted by cheaily at 4:46 PM on November 1, 2006

In China they just let 'er rip, and I'm talking about the dainty old ladies here too.
posted by Pollomacho at 4:49 PM on November 1, 2006

What Stefanie said. In a busy pub or restaurant you should be able to burp and exhale with your hand over your mouth and head turned without your companions even hearing you.
posted by fire&wings at 4:54 PM on November 1, 2006

Your obligation in a social situation where burping would be considered rude is to make a game effort of reducing the impact of your burp. Minimize it as best you can and leave it at that. Anyone who would think ill of you for the physical need to burp isn't worth worrying about, and anyone else will tacitly note your mitigating maneuver in stride if they notice anything at all.

At least, that's what I can make of the situation. I'm a belching enthusiast, personally—I understand only in abstract what the fuss is about, like a caveman at a shopping mall.

In that stride, I can't imagine a situation that involves pints and any sort of implied prohibition on glorious, sonorous air/stomach work.
posted by cortex at 5:10 PM on November 1, 2006

Just don't do it as you're leaning in to kiss someone. Please.
posted by bink at 5:12 PM on November 1, 2006

One perspective: my wife thinks the quiet burps are more gross than the loud ones [given similar volume]. I have to agree with her, as long as it's not taken to the extreme with one of those ear-shattering deals.
posted by chef_boyardee at 6:36 PM on November 1, 2006

(given similar GASEOUS volume, not auditory volume)
posted by chef_boyardee at 6:36 PM on November 1, 2006

Maybe the solution is to just start drinking atrocious smelling beer. Then just burp into the glass as you are drinking; and no one will ever be sure.
posted by heh3d at 8:59 PM on November 1, 2006

Burp into your own mouth, with your moutht closed. This will be quiet and not noticable. Then when people are distracted by the conversation blow the evil smelling burp-air across the table in to someones face. They won't know what hit them or where it came from.

For added effect blame the person sitting next to your target. Something like "Barry, that's disgusting" will do the trick.
posted by markr at 10:36 PM on November 1, 2006 [1 favorite]

About the smell, if you know it's gonna smell really bad (eg. you've eaten lots of onions or cheap processed meat) you can inhale the burp - make sure you get all of it - and then exhale. You might look weird, but your lungs will scrub most of the odor.
posted by claudius at 1:31 AM on November 2, 2006

I use claudius' trick, exhaling through the nose for added filtering. I don't really know if it makes much of a difference, but I feel like I'm at least making an effort, you know?
posted by MrMoonPie at 7:24 AM on November 2, 2006

Do what my dad does: belch loudly, then blow through your lips like a horse, and say "Steady big fella."

Alternatively, belch loudly, then say "Speak again, sweet lips, so I can find you in the dark."

My dad is quite the kidder.
posted by ottereroticist at 2:20 PM on November 2, 2006