The woman, who was visiting with her 12-year-old son, said in a post on Mumsnet that she had not planned on splurging on food when she first agreed to spend the evening with a close friend and her three children. However, her mood worsened when the friend revealed the total cost of the meal was £92 ($104) and she expected her to pay half.

But despite her protestations, many online felt it was perfectly acceptable for her to cough up the cash, regardless of whether she was a guest or not.

Few things in polite society have proven quite as divisive as the correct etiquette when it comes to settling the bill after a meal with friends. In a poll of 2,000 diners commissioned by price comparison website comparethemarket.com and published by The Independent last year, 34 percent of respondents said they felt it was best to split the bill straight down the middle, including tips.

Conversely, 36 percent argued it was better to split things precisely based on what everyone had. Close to half of those participating in the survey, meanwhile, admitted feeling awkward when it came time to settle the bill.

That was certainly the case for the dinner guest who went online to express her indignation at what unfolded during her visit.

The woman, posting on Mumsnet under the handle avamiah, was left feeling “really uncomfortable” at having to pay for the Chinese takeout they shared from a local restaurant.

“I was speechless as we were guests in her home and she invited us for dinner,” she wrote. “I would never do that to a guest in my home.”

She said she had originally been “invited for dinner” as her friend told her she was “cooking” yet then proceeded to order takeout for herself, asking her guest if she wanted to order “a few dishes” too.

“I was just a bit shocked as she never said she was going to order Chinese,” she said.

Plenty of fellow Mumsnet users could see things from her perspective. “I wouldn’t have expected her to pay at all,” UKholidaylover wrote with MaggieFS agreeing: “If she invited you over for dinner and then chose to order takeaway, she should have paid for it.”

Oliverfunyuns added: “If someone offers to feed me when I’m at their house, I’d expect that it’s their treat.”

However, an equal amount felt it was only fair she paid her way. Justsleep commented: “I would expect to split a takeaway, just as I would a meal in a restaurant” while AFineBalance concurred: “I’d expect to pay towards a takeaway in a friend’s house.”

Hugasaurus, meanwhile, replied: “I’d expect to pay my share of a takeaway yes, if I agreed to getting one.”

It was far from a black-and-white argument though, with a small contingent saying she should have paid, just not as much as she ended up paying. The charge was led by iamnotyourmum, who wrote: “I wouldn’t pay half if she was ordering for 4 and I was 2.”

Shiningstarr was of a similar mindset, commenting: “I would have added up the amount for the dishes I had ordered and paid that.” Elsewhere, Rosebucket agreed: “I’d pay for what I ordered and towards a delivery charge/tip.”

Newsweek was unable to verify the details of the case.