tablemates
Shared meal partners
Tablemates are people who share a table, whether at a meal, in a classroom, or at an event.
The word implies temporary proximity rather than close relationship: I chatted with my tablemates at the wedding reception.
Someone seated beside you at dinner becomes your tablemate for the evening.
Adjacent fellow travelers
- guestsPeople received hospitably
- friendsVoluntary close relations
- acquaintancesPeople known slightly
- colleaguesProfessional associates
strangers · neighbors · hosts · invitees · attendees · peers · buddies · pals
Exchange of spoken ideas
- banterPlayful, teasing exchange
- small talkPolite trivial conversation
- laughterVocal expression of amusement
- storiesAccounts or building levels
introductions · networking · bonding · rapport · camaraderie · fellowship · congeniality · mingling
Available places to sit
- place settingArranged utensils for dining
- cutleryEating implements collectively
- napkinMealtime wiping cloth
- placematProtective dining surface cover
menu · courses · appetizer · entree · dessert · wine · toast · service
Named seating assignments
- seating chartPlan showing seat assignments
- arrangementOrdered configuration or agreement
- configurationArrangement of parts
- besideAdjacent to
across from · next to · elbow room · crowded · intimate
seatmates
Adjacent fellow travelers
- guestsPeople received hospitably
- friendsVoluntary close relations
- acquaintancesPeople known slightly
colleagues · strangers · neighbors · hosts · invitees · attendees · peers · buddies · pals · cohort
conversation
Exchange of spoken ideas
- banterPlayful, teasing exchange
- small talkPolite trivial conversation
- laughterVocal expression of amusement
stories · introductions · networking · bonding · rapport · camaraderie · fellowship · congeniality · mingling · ice-breakers
seating
Available places to sit
- place settingArranged utensils for dining
- cutleryEating implements collectively
- napkinMealtime wiping cloth
placemat · menu · courses · appetizer · entree · dessert · wine · toast · service · waiter
place cards
Named seating assignments
- seating chartPlan showing seat assignments
- arrangementOrdered configuration or agreement
- configurationArrangement of parts
beside · across from · next to · elbow room · crowded · intimate
tablematesstrangers
People unknown to you
outcasts · loner · uninvited guests · loners · wallflower