salad" and u have2say...? When you're in a restaurant and you see a dish you want to try, and the only thing that makes it non-vegetarian is the meat (in this case, you've asked the waiter just to be sure), but the name of the dish contains a meat item? Like "chicken pecan salad" and you have to say "I'll have the chicken pecan salad, without the chicken." And the waiter gives you a strange look, and says "you want the CHICKEN pecan salad, without the CHICKEN?" Or, for example, the sausage arrabiata pasta, and you have to say "I'll have the sausage arrabiata pasta, without the sausage" and you get the strange look and comment.

Does that make you feel awkward? I always feel the need to sort of lie (about it being "good") and say "I'm sure it's good with the meat, but I'm a vegetarian, so if you don't mind not including the meat item, that would be great"
& in some cases, you can't get buy with just saying "I'll have the pecan salad, no chicken", because their might be something similar on the item (like, say, "chopped pecan & lemon shrimp salad") which is not the same thing & is not something you want (different ingredients (in some cases, VERY different)).
It's just one of those annoying things about being veg & going out to eat. NOT saying I don't like veg, I'm just saying it's a hassle sometimes. Or, like when you say "I'm new to this restaurant, can you give me some suggestions" & they start going on and on and on about how juicy the lamb is and how every body goes mad over the steaks and that their shrimp is known country-wide,....just before you have the chance to add "that are vegetarian."

Again, NOT saying it's so much of a hassle I'd ever consider going back to omni. Couldn't eat meat if I was starving. It's horrid. I've been that way for 15 years of my 20 years of life. Not going back.