The ghost of George Costanza lives on . . . in the double dip

My wife Liz and I have long believed that virtually every seemingly offbeat plot twist in the old Seinfeld sitcom has at least some basis in reality. That proved to be true yet again earlier this week.

The Seinfeld scene that sprung to mind this time around occurred when George Costanza, while attending a wake, dipped a chip, took a bite from it, and then dipped it again. This prompted another character to express his disgust in no uncertain terms: “That's like putting your whole mouth right in the dip! From now on, when you take a chip – just take one dip and end it!”

George, of course, refused to back down, and a fracas ensued.

Although Liz and I have not witnessed such boorish behavior in real life, it turns out it's not at all far-fetched. When we stepped into a specialty-foods shop that sells high-end jams, sauces, mustards and other delicacies, we found open jars of many products alongside small bowls of pretzels and crackers, so customers could sample the wares. We also found a warning. At least one of these displays sported a "no double dipping" sign, providing still more proof that common sense is far from common. 

Although I quickly scanned the clientele, George Costanza was nowhere in sight. But he was there in spirit.