---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we're discussing who to invite to a…"
description: "\"When we're discussing who to invite to a dinner party, my wife Chaz and I sometimes use the shorthand, 'good value for money,' which indicates guests e..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10f/roger-ebert-655_dinner_when-we-re-discussing-who-to-invite-to-a_153991.jpg"
---

#  When we're discussing who to invite to a dinner party, my…

![“When we're discussing who to invite to a dinner party, my wife Chaz and I sometimes use the shorthand, 'good value for money,' which indicates guests expected to be entertaining.” quote by Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10f/roger-ebert-655_dinner_when-we-re-discussing-who-to-invite-to-a_153991.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10f/roger-ebert-655_dinner_when-we-re-discussing-who-to-invite-to-a_153991.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10f/roger-ebert-655_dinner_when-we-re-discussing-who-to-invite-to-a_153991.jpg)

> “When we're discussing who to invite to a dinner party, my wife Chaz and I sometimes use the shorthand, 'good value for money,' which indicates guests expected to be entertaining.”

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

When selecting dinner guests, we often weigh their entertainment value against cost, treating social interactions like transactions.

**In simple terms:** Choosing guests based on value.

Key Takeaway

Consider both cost and enjoyment when inviting.

Themes

socializing value entertainment budget relationships

Mood

thoughtful pragmatic

Type

observational philosophical

When to use this quote

- dinner parties
- event planning
- budgeting
- networking

Key Concepts

social economics hospitality norms

Questions to Reflect On

- What makes a guest truly valuable?
- How can you host inclusively?

A Different Perspective

People are not commodities.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Dinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner/) [Dinner party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner-party/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [Shorthand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shorthand/) [Value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wife/)

## Related quotes

> [I don't know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen and my living room and the other room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammadu-buhari/i-don-t-know-which-party-my-wife-belongs-to-but-she-belongs-to-my/)

[Muhammadu Buhari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammadu-buhari/)

> [“And I know I need to invite him over for dinner, because there's no question. This is serious.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamara-ireland-stone/and-i-know-i-need-to-invite-him-over-for-dinner-because-there-s-no/)

[Tamara Ireland Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamara-ireland-stone/)

> [Fear will always knock on your door. Just don't invite it in for dinner. And for heaven's sake, don't offer it a bed for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/fear-will-always-knock-on-your-door-just-don-t-invite-it-in-for/)

[Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/)

> [When people throw stones at you, use those stones to build the most beautiful house and invite them to dinner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nompumelelo-zulu/when-people-throw-stones-at-you-use-those-stones-to-build-the-most/)

Nompumelelo Zulu

> [Gluten is so ridiculous. Don't invite me to a dinner with someone who is gluten-free. I ruin the party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maye-musk/gluten-is-so-ridiculous-don-t-invite-me-to-a-dinner-with-someone-who/)

[Maye Musk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maye-musk/)

> [“You want me to invite him to dinner.” “I want you to invite him to dinner,” she agreed. “You know,” he said, “most gay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-haldeman-time/you-want-me-to-invite-him-to-dinner-i-want-you-to-invite-him-to/)

Matthew Haldeman-Time

> [People invite me to dinner not because I can cook, but because I like to clean up. I get immediate gratification from windex. Yes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/people-invite-me-to-dinner-not-because-i-can-cook-but-because-i-like/)

[Carol Burnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-burnett/)

> [Never invite to dinner: those who won't decide until the last minute; those who come more than half an hour late; those who want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/never-invite-to-dinner-those-who-won-t-decide-until-the-last-minute/)

[Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/)

> [He attacked us. What was I supposed to do? Invite him to dinner? (Sin)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/he-attacked-us-what-was-i-supposed-to-do-invite-him-to-dinner-sin/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [Why invite you to dinner if I can't cook?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tituss-burgess/why-invite-you-to-dinner-if-i-can-t-cook/)

[Tituss Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tituss-burgess/)

> [The Statue of Liberty is meant to be shorthand for a country so unlike its parts that a trip from California to Indiana should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/the-statue-of-liberty-is-meant-to-be-shorthand-for-a-country-so/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [Everybody uses pop culture as a shorthand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-cline/everybody-uses-pop-culture-as-a-shorthand/)

[Ernest Cline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-cline/)

> [My shorthand answer is that I try to write the kind of book that I would like to read. If I can make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/my-shorthand-answer-is-that-i-try-to-write-the-kind-of-book-that-i/)

[David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/)

> [The religious imagery and fairytales that formed our shared cultural references have been replaced by the cult of celebrity. Marilyn is the sex goddess,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-jackson/the-religious-imagery-and-fairytales-that-formed-our-shared-cultural/)

[Alison Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-jackson/)

> [Being on a successful television show is a good thing. It’s steady work. It’s a chance to work with a group of people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-rowan/being-on-a-successful-television-show-is-a-good-thing-it-s-steady/)

[Kelly Rowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-rowan/)

## More by Roger Ebert

> [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [It is an interesting law of romance that a truly strong woman will choose a strong man who disagrees with her over a weak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-is-an-interesting-law-of-romance-that-a-truly-strong-woman-will/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [I am, beneath everything else, a fan. I was fixed in this mode as a young boy and am awed by people who take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/i-am-beneath-everything-else-a-fan-i-was-fixed-in-this-mode-as-a/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [“We’d had a revelation. This was the direction American movies should take: into idiosyncratic characters, into dialogue with an ear for the vulgar and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/we-d-had-a-revelation-this-was-the-direction-american-movies-should/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [“Most courtroom movies feel it necessary to end with a clear-cut verdict. But 12 Angry Men never states whether the defendant is innocent or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/most-courtroom-movies-feel-it-necessary-to-end-with-a-clear-cut/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [What every human being should do is eat a vegetarian diet based on whole foods. Period. That's it. Animal protein is bad for you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/what-every-human-being-should-do-is-eat-a-vegetarian-diet-based-on/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [I value the kind of prayer when you stand at the edge of the sea, or beneath a tree, or smell a flower, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/i-value-the-kind-of-prayer-when-you-stand-at-the-edge-of-the-sea-or/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [“One of my delights in these books, on the other hand, has been to include movies not often cited as “great”—some because they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/one-of-my-delights-in-these-books-on-the-other-hand-has-been-to/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [A movie isn't good or bad based on its politics. It's usually good or bad for other reasons, though you might agree or disagree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/a-movie-isn-t-good-or-bad-based-on-its-politics-it-s-usually-good-or/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [It is human nature to look away from illness. We don't enjoy a reminder of our own fragile mortality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-is-human-nature-to-look-away-from-illness-we-don-t-enjoy-a/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [ Gene \[Siskel\] often mentioned something François Truffaut once told him: the most beautiful sight in a movie theater is to walk down to the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/gene-siskel-often-mentioned-something-fran-ois-truffaut-once-told-him/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [A movie is not about what it is about. It is about how it is about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/a-movie-is-not-about-what-it-is-about-it-is-about-how-it-is-about-it/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [James Cameron's films have always been distinguished by ground-breaking technical excellence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/james-cameron-s-films-have-always-been-distinguished-by-ground/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [Friends don't let Jackasses drink and drive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/friends-don-t-let-jackasses-drink-and-drive/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [I think we have to get beyond the idea that we have to categorize people. We can now have action movies with two stars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/i-think-we-have-to-get-beyond-the-idea-that-we-have-to-categorize/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

[Explore all 427 Roger Ebert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

## More Dinner quotes

> [The language we share is at the core of our identity as citizens, and our ticket to full participation in American political life. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/the-language-we-share-is-at-the-core-of-our-identity-as-citizens-and/)

[S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/)

> [My dinners have never interfered with my business. They have been my recreation. . . A public banquet, if eaten with thought and care,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chauncey-depew/my-dinners-have-never-interfered-with-my-business-they-have-been-my/)

[Chauncey Depew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chauncey-depew/)

> [Anybody can be Prince Charming one day a year, with the dinner and the flowers and all that. But you know what impresses me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-howard/anybody-can-be-prince-charming-one-day-a-year-with-the-dinner-and-the/)

[Ryan Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-howard/)

> [“We just went out for dinner. We didn't participate in a Roman orgy, I swear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-dahl/we-just-went-out-for-dinner-we-didn-t-participate-in-a-roman-orgy-i/)

[Victoria Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-dahl/)

> [Back in the really olden days, dinner was seldom a ceremonial event for U.S. families. Only the very wealthy had a separate dining room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/back-in-the-really-olden-days-dinner-was-seldom-a-ceremonial-event/)

[Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/)

> [ Music \[is\] the third rail of life. You grabbed it to shock yourself out of the dull drag of hours. To feel something. To… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-hill/music-is-the-third-rail-of-life-you-grabbed-it-to-shock-yourself-out/)

[Joe Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-hill/)

> [Sonny Von Bulow, who said to her husband Claus on their honeymoon, Stop needling me. Never got a dinner!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/red-buttons/sonny-von-bulow-who-said-to-her-husband-claus-on-their-honeymoon-stop/)

[Red Buttons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/red-buttons/)

> [Remember, sex is like a Chinese dinner. It ain't over 'til you both get your cookie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alec-baldwin/remember-sex-is-like-a-chinese-dinner-it-ain-t-over-til-you-both-get/)

[Alec Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alec-baldwin/)

> [I have no social life. There is no time for one. Once in a while I may go to dinner with a friend but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-halliday/i-have-no-social-life-there-is-no-time-for-one-once-in-a-while-i-may/)

[Liz Halliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-halliday/)

> [I'm not a person who would get up at 5 A.M. to write, but I could sacrifice my Friday night and just order in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-weisberger/i-m-not-a-person-who-would-get-up-at-5-a-m-to-write-but-i-could/)

[Lauren Weisberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-weisberger/)

> [Challenging is good, like good conversation, yes? Who wants to have dinner with the same old easy listening music sounding friends all the time?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/challenging-is-good-like-good-conversation-yes-who-wants-to-have/)

[Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/)

> [Once, as an experiment, I travelled around the world with a single suit. Before I left, I went to a tailor in Savile Row…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-hamilton/once-as-an-experiment-i-travelled-around-the-world-with-a-single-suit/)

[George Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-hamilton/)

> [I like to be bought flowers and taken out for dinner. I like a man to be a gentleman. I don't like to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-stone/i-like-to-be-bought-flowers-and-taken-out-for-dinner-i-like-a-man-to/)

[Sharon Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-stone/)

> [Why should the Marquis de Cussy wage war on soup? I cannot understand a dinner without it. I hold soup to be the well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-antoine-careme/why-should-the-marquis-de-cussy-wage-war-on-soup-i-cannot-understand/)

[Marie-Antoine Careme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-antoine-careme/)

> [Helvetica is the jeans, and Univers the dinner jacket. Helvetica is here to stay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-frutiger/helvetica-is-the-jeans-and-univers-the-dinner-jacket-helvetica-is/)

[Adrian Frutiger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-frutiger/)

[Browse all 2,901 Dinner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dinner/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When we're discussing who to invite to a dinner party, my wife Chaz and I sometimes use the shorthand, 'good value for money,' which indicates guests expected to be entertaining.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Roger Ebert"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/when-we-re-discussing-who-to-invite-to-a-dinner-party-my-wife-chaz/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Dinner"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/when-we-re-discussing-who-to-invite-to-a-dinner-party-my-wife-chaz/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10f/roger-ebert-655_dinner_when-we-re-discussing-who-to-invite-to-a_153991.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10f/roger-ebert-655_dinner_when-we-re-discussing-who-to-invite-to-a_153991.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/10f/roger-ebert-655_dinner_when-we-re-discussing-who-to-invite-to-a_153991.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When we're discussing who to invite to a dinner party, my wife Chaz and I sometimes use the shorthand, 'good…” — Roger Ebert",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Roger Ebert",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When we're discussing who to invite...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/when-we-re-discussing-who-to-invite-to-a-dinner-party-my-wife-chaz/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/when-we-re-discussing-who-to-invite-to-a-dinner-party-my-wife-chaz/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
