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The man normally makes a simple run for it, between the soup and main course.  This time he got up to go as normal, then hestitate, and slowly sat down again.  This was repeated a few times and he ate a bit of the main course.  The final he managed to stand and scarper.

I think this actually reflected low blood pressure, so that when he stood up initially, he felt a little dizzy and unstable, and decided to sit again.  This repeated for a period, during which his digestion started to put a bit more energy in the blood stream, and he finally managed to set off.

Obviously there could be all sorts of explanations.  But he never looks particularly fit.

She did her normal gambit of pushing her plate, still with some salad, away to the side, together with the rejected ice cream, that had also been pushed away.  After some time she pulled the main plate back, but really nothing more.  The server came along, and moved to take both plates away, and got ticked off by her in a pretty annoyed fashion.

My interpretation is that she thought she had eaten enough, so pushed things away.  Gradually she realised that he was still hungry, and pulled the not very appertising salad back.  Then was psyching herself up to eat the salad that she had already ostentatiously rejected, when the server came.

My view is that she thinks the server is stupid and unobservant, and should get her disdain.

I told her that quite reasonably the server had thought she had finished eating, as had most of the dining room.

So I got the normal glares.  But I bet all the people sitting round her got the message.

I also had her say something too me at one point.  This Is always difficult.  ' I am afraid I have not got the least idea what you are saying', said as distinctly as possible so her neighbours could hear.  She does not try to repeat or clarify.  She knows it was gobble-de-goupe (?spelling?), and was banking on it shutting me up.  Most people don't dare to admit they could not understand what she has said.

M