Doggie bag dos and don'ts

You're at your cousin's house for the holiday feast and you'd really like some of the leftover turkey or those brussels sprouts your aunt made. You don't have to resort to sneaking potatoes into your purse.

Etiquette expert Lizzie Post says those who dine away from home for the holiday can boost their odds of scoring a doggie bag by bringing a side dish to share and helping their host clean up.

Then, as the host begins to put the food away, innocently inquire: "Oh! Do you want me to start packing this up for people to take home for leftovers?"

"Offer it as a suggestion rather than asking," says Post, a great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post who works at the Emily Post Institute in Vermont. "It gives them a chance to say what they were hoping to do with the leftovers without you just asking and putting them on the spot."

"Some (hosts) can get touchy. I imagine there are those who think 'this is mine,'" adds "Talk Turkey to Me" author Renee Ferguson.

Ferguson suggests tucking a couple of resealable bags in your purse or coat pocket before you leave home in case you do score some sweet potato casserole or turkey slices. It's less obvious than walking in with your own Tupperware.

• Daily Herald wire services contributed to this report.