Do you think it's rude to turn down food that someone has lovingly cooked for you?

A natural way to answer

I think it can come across as rude if you're not careful, because people put real effort and love into cooking. That said, you shouldn't have to force down food you genuinely can't eat. The key is to refuse gently and show you appreciate the gesture.

Key phrases to use

• come across as — to give a particular impression to other people“I don't want to come across as fussy.”
• rub them up the wrong way — to annoy or irritate someone, often unintentionally“His tone rubbed me up the wrong way.”
• hurt their feelings — to make someone feel upset or offended“I didn't want to hurt their feelings by saying no.”