Poor Table Manners are Unacceptable

“A man is embarrassed to be seen in smart places with a girl who holds a loaded fork in mid-air as she talks, keeps her arms crudely propped on the table.” — Above… One arm and both elbows on the table? Fork up in the air with food on it? Slouchy posture? She seems so blithely unaware that from his posture and his facial expression, he lost interest a while ago!

Poor Manners at Table to Be Deplored

You may not think your escort would notice a “little thing” like your table manners. But make a slip or two and watch his opinion of you go down! A man is embarrassed to be seen in smart places with a girl who holds a loaded fork in mid-air as she talks, keeps her arms crudely propped on the table.

But unless you're familiar with the rules, it’s hard to know what to do. Perhaps you wonder whether you should drink from your bouillon cup. Yes, you may. Use a spoon until the broth is cool enough. But never break crackers into your soup. Croutons or tiny bits of toast may be dropped in whole.

What to do when a hostess offers you a dish you don't care for? Don't speak of your dislike. Take a small quantity and, if necessary, leave it on your plate. With etiquette to guide you, even minor mishaps won’t upset your poise. Should you get a bone or fruit seed in your mouth, you inconspicuously drop it into your cupped hand. And, of course, you’ll never use your napkin as a screen.

Be perfectly sure of yourself when dining out. — From "Good Table Manners" in the Press-Telegram Home Service, 1940

🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, of The RSVP Institute of Etiquette, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia