People who make smacking sound when eating

nancy324

nancy324

Cathlete
I was researching the topic of why some people make a smacking sound when they eat, and almost everything I read assumed that it was voluntary and caused by "rudeness". That may be true in some cases, but during Thanksgiving dinner it occurred to me that the members of my family who smack are otherwise quite nice people who generally are not rude in any other way, and who have been told countless times and yet cannot seem to change.

The sound sickens me, and it even ruins my meal, but I am starting to believe that there may be some physical or genetic reason people can't keep their mouths closed when they eat. I know many people here are in the health care industry. Any comments?
 
My 12yo son has what his hygienist refers to as an active tongue. It took me years to pinpoint that the problem seems to be that when he is eating his tongue does not lay flat on the bottom of his mouth, but is continually moving around inside his mouth and this appears to be the problem with how loud he chews and the fact that it is very difficult for him to keep his mouth shut. My father seems to have the same problem, though I haven't quizzed him on it. No matter how much we remind him it doesn't seem to matter. My 9yo son doesn't have this issue, and since we've raised them the same way, I can't help but think that there is an actual physical reason for it.
 
I work for an Asian company and when I'm over there they think it's rude that I'm silent! To them it's a sign of a good meal and how the communicate that to the host.

I think it's gross....
 
my sis is 43and still smacks since she was a little girl. if i ask her to stop (when i was little) she insists that she's not smacking. it has helped that i now have 2 nieces and a nefew to block out the noise. maybe she has some physical problem. her tung is so long that she can put a cherio on her nose.

laura
 
Thanks, Cathy. That is very enlightening. I was thinking that maybe sinus issues could be a cause, too.

Also, I tried smacking when I eat and realized that it takes extra effort. Why would someone purposely take extra effort to chew? There may be some people who do it to draw attention to themselves, but my guess is they're in the minority.
 
I never thought of smacking, chomping and otherwise making noise while eating as being involuntary. Interesting, but it doesn't make it more tolerable for me. These types of sounds turn my stomach.

brickhouse said:
I work for an Asian company and when I'm over there they think it's rude that I'm silent! To them it's a sign of a good meal and how the communicate that to the host.

I think it's gross....
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And burping after a meal is a sign of enjoyment in Japan as well.

I find it gross as well.
 
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kathryn said:
I never thought of smacking, chomping and otherwise making noise while eating as being involuntary. Interesting, but it doesn't make it more tolerable for me. These types of sounds turn my stomach.


And burbing after a meal is a sign of enjoyment in Japan as well.

I find it gross as well.
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Totally agree. There is a woman @ work who constantly makes noises. When I first met her I asked if she was talking to me. Nope. Turns out she always mumbles and smacks/chomps when she eats, etc. even though she has been told numerous times. It's really bad and I can't stand to be in the room when she's eating. :confused:
 
ellesan said:
Totally agree. There is a woman @ work who constantly makes noises. When I first met her I asked if she was talking to me. Nope. Turns out she always mumbles and smacks/chomps when she eats, etc. even though she has been told numerous times. It's really bad and I can't stand to be in the room when she's eating. :confused:
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One of my former colleagues used to eat with his mouth open, and I couldn't eat if he was near me. (He also farted a lot, which I think was connected to his eating style, since he probably swallowed a lot of air).
.
 
kathryn said:
One of my former colleagues used to eat with his mouth open, and I couldn't eat if he was near me. (He also farted a lot, which I think was connected to his eating style, since he probably swallowed a lot of air).
.
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Oh, how charming! :D

I think some of it is habitual---how we eat is probably ingrained pretty early in life I would think. It would be difficult to change, but if I'd been told a number of times about it and I was becoming a mealtime pariah I would sure try to change! That's interesting about the tongue movement, never considered there could be a physiological reason for the smacking.
 
My Grandpa was a noisy eater and even drooled a bit, and I always thought it was kind of gross. I brought it up as a young adult to my mom one time, and she told me that my grandpa actually had partial paralysis in his facial muscles that caused it. I felt bad and never let it bother me after that. :(
 
DH makes the most unusual (loud) chewing noises. He chews with his mouth closed but somehow gets the air to mix into his food while he is chewing and it almost pops with each bite, like those people who chew gum that crackles with each chomp. In fact you can hear it above just about anything. We have to eat with the tv on since I can not stand to eat with him without background noise it is so disconcerting. I often wonder how he manages to make this noise since it is so unusual. For the most part he is a kind, considerate man who wouldn't try to do anything to annoy you (unless you did something bad to him) so it is interesting to think it is involuntary and that he can't help the behavior which he knows grosses me out so much.
 
Its kind of a relief to be reading these posts because I thought I was just being mean by letting my husband's loud guzzling when he drinks bother me. He does not drink quietly - always loud guzzling and glugging. Really bugs me, but I never say anything because I don't want to be mean. I just put up with it and think about all the things I must do that bug him. :)
 
NRG Woman said:
DH makes the most unusual (loud) chewing noises. He chews with his mouth closed but somehow gets the air to mix into his food while he is chewing and it almost pops with each bite, like those people who chew gum that crackles with each chomp.
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If it wouldn't upset him to be asked, would you ask him what his tongue is doing while he's chewing? I'd be really curious to know if it's moving around like my son's does.
 
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