"Dining out"?? what do you think?

I agree with the crux of your question, but there is certainly a more tactful & less offensive way of asking it.

Well, I think you are being a bit snobby since there are those who can not afford to dine out in the nicer restaurants but do like to eat away from home as a treat for their family. Dining out is the act of not partaking of a meal in the home. Hence, I dine out if I am at a fast food establishment, a casual bistro, a fine dining room, drive in, hotel, or banquet. I am even dining out if I am invited to someones home for a meal. Out means away from your usual place for meals, it really does not have to do with the quality of the food offered.

Be nice when you question if a particular inquiry seems to be in the wrong catagory. Some day you will make a mistake in something as well, and you will want the one pointing it out to you to play nice too.

Below is the definition of the term "dine out" according to Dictionary.com.

dine out, to take a meal, esp. the principal or more formal meal of the day, away from home, as in a hotel or restaurant: They dine out at least once a week.

I understand why you would view dining out as an event that should not counted as such if it takes place in a fast food place. It probably has something to do with the image conjured up by the term "dine". (Defined as: to take a meal, or: to take the main meal) Like you, I do not view anything done in a fast food place as being remotely related to dining. Dining out, to me, means that the meal (and quality of it) is the focus of the event, whereas fast food denotes a hurried, harried or convenience-driven experience or lifestyle in which the food being eaten is barely acknowledged by the person eating it. (How else could anyone think that stuff is good?)

That said, haven't you heard of "fast food restaurants"? The term is not exactly rampant, but the reference is used in focus groups, market research, and the entertainment coupon book. Technically, any meal eaten outside the home or dwelling is dining out. Fast food does fall under the category "dining out" and so it should have its place here. But the snob in me is happy with it being limited to a subgenre and it would be nice to see questions about it directed there, not in the general "dining out" area.

I'm new to Yahoo Answers so I'm not familiar with how the boards are broken down yet. Assuming this is the only board for 'Dining Out' then I would say "To each his own" and let it go at that. If there are better categories to discuss 'fast food' then I'm not aware of them. I am also a serious food snob (tho I do occasionally grab a quick bite somewhere) but I think your comments were rude at least, unnecessary at best, and lost the focus of your point.

I think that if the question is in the correct category it shouldn't matter. There is a category for dining out and then a sub category for Fast food. As long as the questions for KFC or Mc Donald's are in sub category fast food then they should be allowed and if someone doesn't like them they shouldn't read them.

you need to take a breather and relax duuuude. those were some rude comments and words. fast food is yummy and so is dining out. some peopel are jsut in a hurry and don't feel like waiting all day for food or don't feel like paying an arm and a leg for somethign similar they can get at a fast food place i mean look at the gas prices.

As long as they are in the fast food category, why does it matter? Your not eating at home, so in a sense you are dining out, where it be a 5 star restaurant or BK, you are not making the meal yourself.

Dining out tends to mean you dress up. Mcd's, burger king etc don't have a dress code. God you get served even if you went in your pj's!

I'm defo with you it is not dining out, a restaurant is somewhere with a bit a ambiance not a place where the oldest person serving is 17 year old with bad skin.

I may agree with you about the quality, but it is still classified as food and as such it is perfectly legitimate to ask questions about it in the "Dining Out" section. It is also perfectly legitimate to ignore those questions,or to answer them.

i like mcdonalds and im not a chav... its just quick, and i like the chips. when i dine out, its over priced scabby left over crap from the service before, and just equally as bad as mcdonalds, only difference is it's over priced and takes AGGGGES to come out. oh and in restaurants, a glass of diet coke is £2.50. so i think, if im really hungry and not filthy rich and cant be arsed making a big filet mignon for myself, then i will head to mcds.