People warned not to ICE as it’s one of the ‘rudest’ dining habits ever

If you don't work at Karen's Diner where you're paid to be as rude as possible to your guests, please don't pick up - or continue - this dining habit which has been dubbed one of the 'rudest ever'.

The internet is abuzz with conversation about 'ICE', which stands for 'invidious comparison eating'.

A lot of people will be wondering what on earth that means or worrying if they've been a part of the problem for all these years - as let's be honest, some people thrive off this sort of mean-spirited stuff.

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To put you out of suspense, invidious comparison eating refers to the moment - possibly during a packed dinner party - where someone decides to offer up their review of what has been served.

They heap praise on the chef for their culinary creation, before proceeding to passive-aggressively bash the food with a big smile on their face and the line that 'it was just a suggestion' at the ready.

Let's set the scene - you've rustled up your famous nosh after following the recipe to the letter, have put your heart and soul into preparing the scran and then you finally settle down at the table to eat with your guests.

You can hear the pleasing oohs and aahs as well as a few compliments about your kitchen prowess, while someone says how much they love your take on the classic dish....but then another diner pipes up.

Instead of a pat on the back and an appreciative remark about the grub, they may turn to you and deliver a bit of a backhanded compliment instead.

The potatoes are good, but when they make them, they use cream instead of milk. The steak is cooked perfectly, yeah, but they leave it in the pan just a few seconds longer. The list goes on.

In other words, invidious comparison eating means indirectly laying into the food you have been served and making sure it goes down in everyones estimations by comparing it to another version of the grub - which is usually their own.

They insist that swapping out a few ingredients like they did or revamping the recipe like they did could have seriously levelled it up, just to establish their superiority, while they have a forkful of your food in their hand.

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One-upping your friend's age-old family recipe isn't a good look at the dinner table, but it is apparently a secret epidemic which is now ranked as one of the ‘rudest’ dining habits ever.

Novelist Kerry Crisley told Huff Post she experienced ICE-like behaviour during a family dinner with her in-laws.

She explained: "I served shepherd’s pie and she asked me for the recipe. It was flattering and made me feel like a good host. The next time I see her, however, she tells me, ‘I made your recipe for dinner,’ and then proceeds to tell me she switched everything around. I top my shepherd’s pie with cheddar mashed potatoes.

"She used just a little shaved Parmesan. Instead of mashed potatoes, she used scalloped potatoes. Instead of beef, she used ground turkey. And she used half the amount of Worcestershire sauce. But yet (and this is the kicker) it was ‘my recipe.’ I went from feeling like a good host to a lousy cook."

Basically, lay off the comparisons and suggestions on how to upgrade a dish next time you're invited round for tea - we already know that too many cooks spoil the broth.