%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1364659673089087400
%% Please do not replace or remove the image without starting a new thread.
%%
[[quoteright:350:[[Film/PulpFiction http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/StealingBigKahunaSprite_3892.jpg]]]]

-> "I'm so sorry. Here, if you have a milkshake, and I have a milkshake, and I have a straw. There it is, that's a straw, you see? You watching?. And my straw reaches acroooooooss the room, and starts to drink your milkshake... [[MemeticMutation I... drink... your... milkshake!]] [sucking sound] I drink it up!"
-->-- '''Daniel Plainview''', ''Film/ThereWillBeBlood''

A classic tactic of psychological warfare.

You've just met someone. They don't know what to make of you. They happen to be eating at the time. What do you do?

Take their food. It's a step beyond just invading personal space, and it shows who the alpha dog is.

May overlap with TheSnackIsMoreInteresting.

----
!! Examples

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* Parodied to the hilt with the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHFySGxccKc pencil scene]] from ''CromartieHighSchool''.
* Tubby and Willy both do this to Lulu in an episode of the LittleLulu anime, with a tray of sandwiches that Lulu was preparing to have.
* In ''Manga/DeathNote'' there is L's (cat)fight with Misa. "You can call me whatever you like but I'm still taking your cake."
* [[SamuraiChamploo Mugen]] dugs in uninvited to the lunch of some Yakuza thugs. When the predictable reponse follows their boss is so impressed by his badassery he invites him for dinner.
* In Manga/SailorMoon Stars, when Sailor Aluminium Siren and Sailor Lead Crow attack a TV show host who arrived to Usagi's house under the guise of a pizza delivery guy, [[BigEater Siren's]] first action is... to eat one of the pizzas, much to Lead Crow's exasperation.
* In ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'', the Squirtle Squad make their debut by beating up Team Rocket and eating their lunch right in front of them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Book]]
* In one ''ComicBook/BirdsOfPrey'' story, BlackCanary and Wildcat are having lunch in Singapore while pretending to be drug dealers as part of a plan to prevent a drug shipment from reaching Gotham. A detective, thinking they really are drug dealers since they were seen in the company of a notable suspected (as in everyone knows but there's no concrete evidence) drug dealer, sits down and helps himself to some of Dinah's chili crab and tells them they should leave Singapore immediately and never come back.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Work]]
* In ''Fanfic/{{Interstitium}}'', Grunt [[SenseFreak falls in love with the whole concept of flavor]] and becomes a BigEater, wanting to taste ''everything''. During their first mission, he tells Garrus he doesn't have any problem with him, but ''will'' unless he hands over his rations. Garrus incredulously points out that it's dextro-formulated and will just make Grunt sick, but hands it over anyway to avoid a fight. (Then laughs to himself when he ''does'' wind up sick.)
* A variant comes into play in FanFic/ThisNearlyWasMine, more of invading one's personal eating haven being violated than actually eating food. Frederic Horshoepin still harbors lingering resentment towards Vinyl for stealing the mare of his dreams, so her venturing into his favorite restaurant, chatting like they were old pals, decrying his choice in food, and talking about "'Tavi" in front of him certainly irritates him.
* This is a fan-made video -- though the author was asked to create it by the authors of ''Series/{{House}}'' themselves. [[http://www.melanie-d.com/wilsonfood.html "Wilson Food"]] has clips of Wilson eating and House stealing him food accompanied by song "Let's Twist" by Chubby Checker. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=9KpvnJnI5HQ Back-up link to youtube upload called "House and Wilson & food".]]
* The ''Manga/DeathNote'' fic ''Fanfic/{{Seigikan}}'' opens with one ineffable genius mind game between Light and L where Light steals and takes a bite out of one of L's strawberries and then L steals the half-eaten strawberry back and eats it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]
* The most famous fictional example is probably in ''Film/PulpFiction''. When Jules and Vincent bust into the preppies' hideout, Jules asks Brett--in a way that really isn't asking at all--if he can have his burger and soda. Brett and his gang never recover. The best part is that while Jules is drinking Brett's soda, he's staring at Brett the whole time, with this expression on his face that pretty much says "Yes, I ''am'' drinking ''all'' your soda, and you're not gonna do a damn thing about it." You also hear that gargling sound from the straw as he's drinking the soda, which we all know means he ''drank the whole thing''.
* It's a DiscussedTrope in ''Film/TrueRomance'', also written by QuentinTarantino. When Clarence confronts Drexl, Drexl tells him that he should have grabbed some food and sat down to watch the movie playing in his lair. That way, Drexl would have thought him a badass.
* The [[MemeticMutation famous]] "I drink your milkshake" monologue from ''Film/ThereWillBeBlood'', actually an extended metaphor for how Plainview is draining the oil field Eli spent a fortune to buy. In other words, [[AllThereIsToKnowAboutTheCryingGame that hilariously hammy milkshake speech]] is a guy explaining in brutally simple terms how he's ruined the other man's life.
* In the Disney Channel Original Movie ''Brink'', the main characters find this happening to them all the time. They get revenge, though - they stuff a sandwich full of worms, and when the big bad eats it, he gets a nice mouthful of the little wigglers. Revenge is a dish best served...[[{{Metaphorgotten}} with worms]].
* Angel Eyes does this to his first victim before killing him and his son in ''Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly''.
* When SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker crashes Bruce Wayne's party in ''Film/TheDarkKnight'', helps himself to a shrimp kebab and then grabs a glass of champagne from a guest, quaffing it with great gusto before replacing it on a stack of wine flutes.
* An example from ''Film/{{Machete}}'': [[spoiler:after capturing the priest]], Booth helps himself to sacramental wine and sarcastically remarks that "God's blood tastes like Merlot".
* Played with in ''Film/AFishCalledWanda'', where Otto torments K-k-ken by eating a number of his beloved pet fish... alive.
* A variant of this happens to Timmons, the wagon driver who transports Lieutenant Dunbar to Fort Sedgewick in ''DancesWithWolves''. After he's killed by a Sioux war party, one of the party is seen eating Timmons' beloved pickled eggs.
* ''Film/PansLabyrinth'' offers a post mortem example: The Captain does this after killing an innocent hunter and his son.
* Happens in ''RomyAndMichelesHighSchoolReunion'', after Christie covers Michele's back with magnets and takes Romy's burger. Funnily enough, the titular girls don't realise this is a power play at first.
* In ''MenInBlackII'', Serleena interrogates the pizza parlor owner [[spoiler:actually the alien protecting Laura, the Light of Zartha]] for the location of the Light of Zartha. When he remains DefiantToTheEnd, she kills him. Then she takes a pizza to go.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Folklore]]
* In a discussion of vampire folklore, one author noted a tale in which a bloodsucker invited itself into some villagers' home just as they were sitting down for dinner. It came in, sat at down at their table, ate all of their food off their plates (even sucking the marrow out of the bones) and then left without saying a word.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]
* In the Peter Straub story ''Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff'', a rich man hires [[ThoseTwoBadGuys two eccentric hitmen]] to kill his wife and her lover. When they arrive at his home, they quickly polish off his lavish breakfast and tell him to make himself some toast.
* Arthur Dent tells an anecdote about this in ''Literature/SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish'', which the author, Creator/DouglasAdams, claimed to have experienced. After purchasing a bag of train station biscuits (cookies), Dent sits down at a table with a stranger and reads a newspaper. The stranger reaches over, opens the bag, and eats one of the cookies without comment. Dent, stunned, can only react by eating one himself. The two men go back and forth eating the cookies without comment until they're all gone, and they exchange meaningful looks before the man leaves. [[spoiler:Only when Dent himself prepares to leave does he pick up his newspaper and discover ''his own unopened bag of biscuits''.]]
* In ''Literature/TheSalmonOfDoubt'', Adams claimed this [[WriteWhatYouKnow had actually happened to him]], and what amused him most about the whole affair is that, somewhere in Britain, there's some guy wandering around who has exactly the same story except that the poor man doesn't have the punchline.
* One of the first affronts committed to Literature/HoratioHornblower as a midshipman by the senior-most midshipman was his tendency to help himself to pieces of the other midshipman's food -- right off of their plates. The antipathy between them eventually reaches the point where Horatio challenges the other man to a duel.
* {{Burke}} advises the nephew of a friend how to survive in prison, as well as paying the prison BigBad to protect him. When someone tries intimidating the kid during lunch and the BigBad steps in to stop it, the kid deliberately grabs the cake off the man's plate and eats it.
* ''Literature/MassEffectDeception'' has Cerberus assassin Kai Leng ''eating a bowl of [[spoiler:Anderson]]'s cereal'' when he sneaks into his apartment to bug it. Needless to say, readers quickly [[MemeticMutation immortalized]] Leng's CrazyAwesome nature into the FanNickname, [[IncrediblyLamePun "cereal killer"]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* In ''Series/RedDwarf'', Cat does this to a fellow inmate in the hopes that he will be hospitalized for his troubles. Instead, it backfires hilariously and the inmate swears to become Cat's bitch.
* Series/{{House}} does this repeatedly to Wilson - [[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]]. This is along with bigger versions of the same thing, such as getting him to lend him money and not repaying it. Eventually he admits that he does this as a way of quantitatively testing their friendship. Awww...? Wilson later claims that he does the same by telling flattering lies to House, gauging to see how blatant a lie House will accept as an honest compliment before he catches on.
* Awesomely parodied by ''{{Stella}}'', which includes a scene where Michael attempts to psych out his enemy by eating his ice cream cone in an intimidating fashion. Macho posturing and eating ice cream cones do not go well together.
* ''Series/BurnNotice'': One of Michael Westen's signature acts.
* ''SaturdayNightLive'' parodied the famous scene in ''Film/ThereWillBeBlood'' by having Daniel Plainview host a Food Network show in which he visited malt shops and literally drank people's milkshakes.
* In a ChappellesShow sketch, Wayne Brady acts like a violent psychopath and reduces Dave Chappelle to tears. ''Then'' he takes Dave's food after they grab some from a drive thru.
* Happens frequently on Klingon vessels in the various ''Franchise/StarTrek'' series.
* Not quite as rude as stealing from someone's plate, but federal flack Twitchell on ''{{Tremors}}: The Series'' was always taking food and soft drinks from Jodie's store without paying for them, in one of many ways he threw his weight around.
* ''Series/{{Oz}}''. Inmates do this to other inmates they can intimidate, usually leading to [[PrisonRape much worse things]].
* In one episode of ''Series/{{Leverage}}'', [[SixthRanger Tara]] walked up to a guy whose invitation to an auction they needed and [[RefugeInAudacity started eating his sandwich]]. With a little help from [[BigGuy Eliot's]] DeathGlare, she intimidated him so badly he gave her the invitation. Without either Tara or Eliot saying a word.
* On ''{{ER}}'', our first introduction to antagonist Kerry Weaver is when she eats several of Mark Greene's French fries (he was interviewing her over lunch). Although she does ask for them rather than taking them outright, indicating that she's merely clueless rather than outright malicious, she does proceed to be a thoroughly irritating thorn in his and practically everyone else's side for the next ''12 years''.
* In one [[Series/DoctorWho Third Doctor]] story, he duels with TheMaster with swords. During the fight, he proceeds to steal the Master's sandwich and eat it in front of him.
* ''Series/TheAmericans'': In the pilot, after a child predator makes crude remarks about his daughter, Phillip catches the guy barbecuing in his backyard. Phillip beats his ass, threatens to kill him if he catches it happening again, and then walks away with a hot dog off of his grill.
* Parodied in ''Series/{{Justified}}''. Dickie Bennett, looking to build his reputation after being cut off by his mother, does this as part of an attempt to intimidate Boyd. As it happens, Boyd and his henchmen were just discussing who they can target to establish themselves as being back in the criminal game. Dickie's pathetic attempts are seen by Boyd as good fortune, and he can't stop laughing when Dickie tries.
* From the mini-series ''Series/HoratioHornblower'':
** In "The Even Chance", a very well-written and excellently performed hissable villain Jack Simpson is a twisted bully who torments his fellow midshipmen. He steals Horatio's mutton and drinks from his mug in his very first scene.
---> '''Horatio:''' What do you mean by helping yourself to my vittles, sir?
---> '''Jack Simpson:''' I should have thought my intention was quite obvious.
** In "Mutiny", a jerk of a sailor Randall tries to take Styles' mug from the table, but Styles manages to make him put it back.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* The song "Haunted House" sung by Jumpin' Gene Simmons (not [[{{KISS}} that one)]]:
-->In my kitchen my stove was a-blazin' hot.
-->Coffee was a-boilin' in the pot.
-->The grease had melted in the pan.
-->Had a hunk a-meat right in my hand.
-->From outer space there sat a man
-->On the hot stove with the pots and pans.
-->"Say that's hot" I began to shout.
-->He drank a-hot coffee right from the spout.
-->He ate the raw meat right from my hand.
-->Drank the hot grease from the frying pan.
-->Looked at me said "You better run.
-->"And don't be here when the mornin' comes."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* In one ''{{Peanuts}}'' strip Linus is asking, "Who took my group of grapes?" Lucy corrects him that it's called a "bunch" of grapes...as she eats his grapes right in front of him. Then she tosses the emptied grape tendril at him as she leaves.
* In one ''CalvinAndHobbes'' strip, Calvin is eating his lunch, only for Hobbes to swoop in, beat him up and take his lunch.
* ''{{Garfield}}'' constantly steals Jon's food.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Other]]
* In the introduction of [[EvilTwin Dark Gary]] on ''NintendoWeek'', he nukes and eats Allison's lunch shamelessly. [[CrossesTheLineTwice Using a microwave that he had to unplug Gary's TV mid-game to use.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'':
** The Sandvich. Specifically, if a Heavy is carrying his Sandvich when he dies, he will drop it, and anyone who runs it over, even enemies, receives 50 health. The Scout has a voice response for this that alludes to the (in)famous milkshake analogy from ''Film/ThereWillBeBlood'':
--->"[[PunctuatedForEmphasis I! Eat! Your! Sandwiches!]] I eat 'em up!"
** He does the same thing in ''Meet the Scout'', when he interrupts a Heavy eating a Sandvich, kills him, and steals it. The Heavy gets vengeance in ''Meet the Sandvich''. Because of this, Scouts actually gain a little bit more health (75) than the other classes if they grab a stolen Sandvich.
-->'''Scout''' "Ahhh, my blood! He punched out ALL MY BLOOD!"
** Incidentally, the Heavy has an achievement relating to this occurrence, called "Don't Touch Sandvich" which involves killing a number of scouts with a specific weapon. The scout on the other hand, gets an achievement for taking the Heavy's sandvich ("Dodgers 1, Giants 0").
** Soldier also has a similar line after dominating an Engineer:
--->'''Soldier:''' I will eat your ribs, I will eat them up!
* Mid-Boss steals the lunch that Flonne and Jennifer made for a picnic in [[IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming Episode]] 10 of the first ''[[DisgaeaHourOfDarkness Disgaea]]'' game. When they finally catch up to him, he's eaten it all.
* Any videogame where you can loot your enemies and their hideouts and occasionally find food, like in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' or ''Franchise/{{BioShock}}'', think about it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* In DubiousCompany, the [[AntiHero pirates]] get lost while [[StormingTheCastle breaking out of Kreedor's castle]]. They eventually meet Private Charles and get him to lead them. When they learn he is [[NoSenseOfDirection as lost]] as they are, Tiren steals his last sandwich in frustration.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''Disney/{{Pinocchio}}'': Honest John takes the apple Pinocchio is bringing to the teacher and eats it as he talks him into becoming an actor instead, then gives him the core.
* ''ThePrincessAndTheFrog'': Big Daddy is eating beignets when Charlotte comes in gushing about Prince Naveen and keeps taking them out of his hands as she plans on how to get the prince to meet her.
* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales'', the Beagle Boys torment Doofus by eating his pancakes.
* In the first episode of ''WesternAnimation/TaleSpin'', Don Karnage intimidates the customers at Louie's by drinking someone's drink.
* In ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'', this is the strategy that Master Shifu eventually hits on as the best way to motivate BigEater Po. He gives Po a bowl of dumplings and deftly snatches them away from him before he can eat them. Cue a TrainingMontage of the two [[ForkFencing Chopstick Fencing]] over dumplings.
* Subverted in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', where Cyborg infiltrates the H.I.V.E. disguised as "Stone". In the cafeteria, both Gizmo and Mammoth try to intimidate him, Mammoth taking his hamburger and eating it to do so. It fails to intimidate him at all; he quickly assumes a stone-like form and crushes the table, elicting nervous laughs from both of them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* In TheAmericanCivilWar's Battle of Shiloh, early in the battle, after the Confederate attack had sent Union troops fleeing from their camps in panic, the hungry Confederates stopped to eat the food they found in the camps. This delay actually helped save the Union army.
* The 'Battle of the Sausages' during the Winter War between Finland and the USSR: the Finnish troops, knowing the poor state of supply of the Red Army, deliberately set up and abandoned a field kitchen, then ambushed the enemy soldiers who inevitably stopped to help themselves.
* During late stages of World War II, especially during the Battle of the Bulge, the most prized item that Germans captured from US troops was the food, [[http://www.dererstezug.com/German_Rations_at_the_Front.htm as indicated on this website]] as Germany was running out of food to feed its soldiers and civil population.
* Chopper Reed, an infamous Australian standover man turned public speaker has told a tale about how he once cooked a man's dog on said man's barbecue grill, ate some of it, then forced the man to eat the rest.
* During the sack of Washington in the WarOf1812, British soldiers ate the President's dinner in the White House after he had fled. Then they [[RapePillageAndBurn burnt the place to the ground]].
* TheDukeOfWellington ate Marechal Jourdan's pre-prepared "victory feast" at the Grand Hotel after the Battle of Vitoria in The Napoleonic Wars. Graciously, he still paid for it.
[[/folder]]

----