Passage One Leftovers are the uneaten edible remains of a meal after everyone has finished eating. Food scraps that are not directly edible (such as bones or the skins of some vegetables and fruits) are not regarded as leftovers, but rather as waste material. Some only use “leftovers” to refer to extra food that constitutes a meal by itself, not just portions of the original (side-dishes, garnishments, etc.). The ultimate use of leftovers depends on where the meal was eaten, preferences of the diner, and the prevailing social culture. People often save home cooking leftovers to eat later. This is facilitated by the private environment and convenience of airtight containers and refrigeration. People may eat some leftover food cold from the refrigerator, or reheated it in a microwave or conventional oven, or mix it with additional ingredients and recooked to make a new dish. Diners in a restaurant may leave uneaten food for the restaurant to discard, or take it away for later consumption. To take the food away, the diner might request a container, or ask a server to package it. Such a container is colloquially called a doggy bag or doggie bag. This most likely derives from the euphemistic pretense that the diner plans to give the food to a pet, rather than eat it. Some also speculate the name was born during World War II when food shortages encouraged people to limit waste, and also, pet food was scarce. However, it may derive from the East Anglian term docky, meaning lunch. The term doggy bag was popularized in the 1970s etiquette columns of many newspapers. Doggy bags are most common in restaurants that offer a take-out food service as well as sit-down meals, and their prevalence as an accepted social custom varies widely by location. In some countries, especially in continental Europe, some people would frown upon a diner asking for a doggy bag.