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The phrase "bring a plate" is used in Australia and New Zealand when requesting that visiting guests contribute part of a shared meal. It means to bring a plate of food to share with other guests. The host might make a suggestion of what each guest should bring, or may leave it to chance that there will be enough variety of food types - meat dishes, salads, vegetables and desserts - to comprise a suitable meal. On rare occasions, guests that are unfamiliar with the phrase (such as those visiting from other countries) may misinterpret the host's instruction, instead bringing an empty plate in the belief that they are merely helping out with a shortage of crockery.
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