If there is glass of water and someone has taken a sip out of it.

[tufguy]

1. You're at a restaurant. You're eating your food. Some total stranger eats something out of your plate.

2. You're at a restaurant. You're eating your food. An acquaintance eats something out of your plate.

3. You're at a restaurant. You're eating your food. One of your children eats something out of your plate.

I suppose all of them are possible. However, in the the third instance it's hard to see how you get a new plate of food.

Would you really ask for a clean plat a stranger e?If

1. You're at a restaurant. You're eating your food. Some total stranger eats something out of your plate.

2. You're at a restaurant. You're eating your food. An acquaintance eats something out of your plate.

3. You're at a restaurant. You're eating your food. One of your children eats something out of your plate.

I suppose all of them are possible. However, in the the third instance it's hard to see how you get a new plate of food.

Would you really ask for a clean plate?

If a stranger eats something out of my plate the I will.

 

[Tarheel]

If a stranger eats something OFF of my plate the I will.

While that is possible, it seems highly unlikely.

You seem to have to have misunderstood my question. Maybe Americans simply assume that the server will not bring them food on a dirty plate. (I would certainly hope that wouldn't happen.)