Many a mouthful is munched in private

Question

munchtransitive verb: to eat with a chewing action&lt;many a mouthful is munched in private - Washington Irving&gt;; also : to snack on &lt;drank coffee and munched homemade cookies - Lady Bird Johnson&gt;intransitive verb: to eat or chew something; also : snack -usually used with on [M-W's Col. Dic.]"to eat with chewing action" - Isn't it same as 'eating' because one is also supposed to chew while eating anything?What does Irving's quote mean as it is?What's the major difference between 'chew' and 'eat' here?Please guide me. Thanks.

LouiseT · Accepted Answer

Jackson6612What does Irving's quote mean as it is?

I think it means that people eat a lot in private. I am not familiar with this person so you may get some other thoughts on this.

Jackson6612What's the major difference between 'chew' and 'eat' here?

To chew is to bite something with your teeth sometimes to make it smaller in order to swallow it. You can chew something without eating it.
Examples:-
- a dog chewing on a bone
- chewing gum that you spit out when it has lost its flavour.
- chewing on your nails when nervous.

Part of eating is chewing. To eat is to put food in your mouth, to chew it and then to swallow it.

So chewing is one part of eating.

Similarly you can eat things that you do not chew.
Examples:
- jelly
- chocolate (some people just let it melt in the mouth and then swallow)
- oysters

LouiseT · Answer

I had a look for the quote from Irving and found it here
http://rickontheater.blogspot.com/search?q=many+a+mouthful
at the end of the third paragraph.

Surely, thought I, never was an employment followed up with more assiduity than that of gormandizing; already it pervades every public place of amusement; nay, it even begins to steal into our churches, where many a mouthful is munched in private; and few have any more objection to eat than laugh in their sleeves.

It might make more sense to you to see it in context.

Jackson6612 · Answer

Louise, thank you very much. You're too much helpful.

LouiseTSurely, thought I, never was an employment followed up with more assiduity than that of gormandizing; already it pervades every public place of amusement; nay, it even begins to steal into our churches, where many a mouthful is munched in private; and few have any more objection to eat than laugh in their sleeves.

What is the writer saying in the part "followed up with more assiduity"?

I think in the second bold the writer is suggesting that now there are only a handful of people who object to eating (perhaps, in churches?) anymore and even their objection is ridiculous and could be likened in a slight manner to the objection to laugh in the sleeves (which in itself is a joke).

Please guide me. Thanks.

LouiseT · Answer

Thank you Jackson!!

It really is a fun piece of literature and it was a pleasure for me to read it.

“never was an employment followed up with more assiduity than that of gormandizing;”

For me this means people pay great deal of attention to detail such as colour, texture and flavour when they are “gormandizing” (what a lovely word). I don’t believe that Irving meant any negative connotation by the word gormandising, which is normally used in a disapproving way to describe eating in an immodest way. He sounds as though he approves and regularly participates. Look at this line that preceded the above.

The crackling of nuts and the craunching of apples saluted my ears on every side.

“and few have any more objection to eat than laugh in their sleeves.”

Certainly I agree with your thoughts that the writer is suggesting that now there are only a handful of people who object to eating in church.

To laugh in ones sleeve or laugh up ones sleeve is to rejoice or express pleasure secretly, or to hide one's amusement. The expression, which alludes to hiding one's laughter in big loose sleeves, was already a proverb in the mid-1500s. To do this would have been frowned upon in church at the time Irving wrote this piece.

He is saying that people would regard eating in church in the same way as they would regard people laughing up their sleeves. They would not take it too seriously and would not object any more strongly.

Many a mouthful is munched in private

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