'Matter out of place' is a concept used to describe some of our strange social conventions about where things should and shouldn't be.

Mostly it is about one object in relation to another, for example a fork on a bed may be considered to be dirty. Conversely the same bed sheet may be considered out of place on a kitchen worktop.

The best example of this that I have ever seen was on old lady who had decided to go to sleep on the pavement. Everyone kept stopping and couldn't believe that she just wanted to sleep. But it's okay to sleep on trains.

Bread provides some similar strangeness - you can pick up slice of bread and hand it to someone but try doing the same with some salad.

And does anyone know why people will pick up a cigarette that they dropped on the floor and then carry on smoking, but not do the same with a slice of toast?

'Matter out of place' contributions welcome.

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