clean one's plate
Leave nothing behind
To clean one's plate is to eat all the food served to you, leaving nothing behind.
The phrase carries associations with childhood instruction about not wasting food: Clean your plate—there are children starving in Africa.
It extends to finishing any task completely: She cleaned her plate on the quarterly reports before taking vacation.
- table mannersProper conduct during meals
- good mannersSocially acceptable conduct
- mannersCustoms of polite conduct
- politenessCourteous, respectful conduct
- finishBring to completion
devour · consume · gratitude · obligation · zero waste · mindful eating · hospitality · family dinner · tradition · courtesy · savor · chew · swallow · respect · munch · bite · decorum · dinner table