Say What You Mean
Hobbits were a simple folk. They liked good food, warm beds and a safe home.
At least, that's what they'd tell you.
When an Outsider meets a Hobbit, the general first impressions are as follows: Soft, Gluttonous and Unnecessarily Fussy.
The only callouses a Hobbit earned were that of an honest day's work. No long scars from battles, and they were generally a bit curved in shape from generous meals.
They enjoyed a minimum of four meals a day, and would take six or seven if they had time. When confronted by a new problem, they would fret over it and waste many words trying to describe what exactly the problem was, before actually getting around to doing anything about it.
Interestingly, the opposite is true if you ask a Hobbit. They think Outsiders are Rude, Reckless and Harsh.
For you see Hobbits, unlike many other races, could get to the heart of things rather easily. There was something about the spoken word that their keen ears could hone in on, something in the breath that could give away a heart's secrets.
Simply put, it was impossible to lie to a Hobbit and get away with it.
Oh, you could certainly tell falsehoods all day long, and the curly-footed creatures would probably listen and nod along. However, all you'd be doing is giving them an easier time in hearing your heart's song and what you know to be true.
And so, Hobbits are a peaceful folk.
After all, it's rather hard to stab someone when every bit of chatter is a flash of insight into their flow of emotions and the honest truth of how they see the world and how they view other people.
Trust and Honesty in a Hobbit's mind are very close to how often you speak, and how many words you use. After all, if you speak too little, you must have something to hide.
They spend many words to explain the goings-on of a situation, and gossip is both popular and crucial for their society's continuing peace.
Even with 'warring' clans, talk is upheld using snippets of gossip and casual conversations – just enough to let the other family know that they were lying through their teeth when they complimented your gardens, and truly did still find you contemptible.
Hobbits are terribly good at bartering with people who aren't also Hobbits – They know exactly how much you're willing to spend the moment you open your mouth, and know how valuable that item is for you to obtain.
Luckily, most Hobbits are not terribly greedy when it comes to coin.
They mostly trade commodities rather than currency, and use gold as a way to measure how many bushels of corn they can trade for a pony.
When the wizard Gandalf came to Bilbo Baggins and offered an adventure, the gentlehobbit heard the request. He also heard the private thoughts whispering in the shadow of each word, curling like smoke through blades of grass. It would be fraught with danger, this adventure, and the wizard was unsure if it was even a good idea to ask for this favor.
The more they talked, the more Bilbo got the impression that this was a very hazardous and unwise path for anyone who liked possessing all of their limbs.
It was only reasonable for him to turn the offer down.
To explain the cultural faux pass that the dwarves committed when barging into Bag End without so much as a by-your-leave, let me explain in words that might make a bit more sense.
Imagine you're sitting at home, enjoying a meal, when there comes a knock at your door.
When you open it, a crowd of people comes parading in, straight-faced and without explanation as they make a sandwich in your kitchen and begin painting your walls. Despite any demand for introductions or queries for why on earth they were doing such a thing, the crowd simply stares at you as they continue to apply an absolutely disgusting shade of green-brown to your walls and even to the paintings hanging on them. You cannot stop them. Your angry cries and distressed flailing does nothing in the face of their apathetic destruction of your property.
While the dwarrow may have introduced themselves by name, they did not explain their reasoning for staying, nor did they comment on the state of Bilbo's gardens or house.
To put it simply, they did not give enough words to let him get a feel of their 'Truth.' Those few moments of discerning each other's intentions was about as important to Hobbit propriety as making sure to wear pants in public, or not kicking a fauntling.
Had they stopped for conversation, he very well may have let them raid his larders.
As it stood, they were very much unwelcome.
