Chewing Gum Got Etiquette Approval

“Writers on etiquette say that where beauty experts are advising chewing gum for beauty’s sake; airplane hostesses are offering it for digestion’s sake; athletic directors are giving it to their athletes for their throats’ sake; and bridge players are chewing for “better concentration”… 

Gum-Chewing on Pages of Etiquette Books in 1936

The world of etiquette has introduced a new recruit to its pages of when, where, and hows. No longer is it a question of whether we should chew gum, but the appropriateness of the time, the occasion, and the place, and the ways it’s done. For writers on etiquette say that where beauty experts are advising chewing gum for beauty’s sake; airplane hostesses are offering it for digestion’s sake; athletic directors are giving it to their athletes for their throats’ sake; and bridge players are chewing for “better concentration,” it is natural that the margins should broaden and chewing gum be enjoyed on other occasions. 

For every recognized form of behavior, there is a set of rules to accompany it. Here are a few suggestions that the writers of etiquette are making in connection with the chewing of gum:

• We chew when it is appropriate. 

• We either accept or refuse gum without making a fuss either way. 

• We chew only in the presence of those who enjoy chewing gum. 

• Chewing gum is like chewing anything else, and follows the same rules of behavior.

Briefly, the opinion seems to be “to chew and let chew.” — Wilmington Press, 1936

 

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

Train Travel Etiquette

As for the chewing-gum monstrosity, it is simply unspeakably hateful. Fortunately for the hygiene and the comfort of travelers, the revolting habit of expectoration in public conveyances is a thing of the past…

A Minor Infliction

Among the disagreeable features of a short suburban journey may be mentioned the habit of munching peanuts or eating fruit or candy, in which ill-bred people indulge. A decorous luncheon eaten at the luncheon hour is not an offense to anyone, but it is a distinct misery to sit near a party of people who are eating peanuts and scattering shells upon the floor, and the odor of oranges and bananas on a train is nauseating to many.

As for the chewing-gum monstrosity, it is simply unspeakably hateful. Fortunately for the hygiene and the comfort of travelers, the revolting habit of expectoration in public conveyances is a thing of the past; prohibited under penalties of fine and imprisonment by modern boards of health, it has had its odious day, and no longer moves fastidious strangers from abroad to write of us as if we were a horde of barbarians instead of a refined and wholesome nation, with standards of purity and excellence to maintain.— From “Good Manners for All Occasions,” 1904

 🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Etiquette for Habits Which Annoy

Gum Chewing ~ Never leave gum where others can see it ...

How to Improve 

Unless you are constantly guarding against them, you are likely to develop personal habits that will be annoying to other persons. A little thought and conscientious effort concerning the things you do and say will improve your manners and add to your popularity.

Among the following suggestions you may discover habits of your own of which you previously have been unaware.

Gum Chewing 

Gum chewing should be done privately and quietly, and not in an office or in any public place. When you chew gum, never make a snapping, smacking sound with it, or pull it out of your mouth in long strings. When you are through with your gum, deposit it in a piece of paper and drop it into the waste basket. Never leave it where others can see it, or where it is likely to become fastened to shoes or clothing. This should be taught to children when they chew their first piece of gum.

Accepting Favors 

Some persons accept countless favors from their friends and return few of them. When refreshments or theater tickets are to be purchased, such persons appear so busily engaged in conversation that they are several yards from the cashier's desk or the ticket window when another member the party approaches it. These individuals offer effusive thanks after the other person has spent her money, and declare that "next time will be our turn" but it isn't. Don't be a sponge; if you can't pay your share of expenses, don't go.

Other favors of smaller proportion often are accepted without return – such things as invitations to a friends home, and countless accommodations with her automobile. Even though you cannot return favors extended to you in exactly the same way, you can do other things occasionally to show your appreciation.

Refreshing Makeup 

Combing hair, cleaning fingernails, applying cheek rouge, patting  powder on the face, smoothing eyebrows – never should be done in public.

If you wear lipstick, and your lips look pale after eating, apply a touch of lipstick before leaving a public dining table if there is no dressing room where you can stop for a minute. Of course, if you have been in a private home, you may excuse yourself and go to the mirror. Do not apply so much make up that you will be forced to remove part of it on a handkerchief or napkin. Don't twist your lips in grotesque shapes. These things call attention to what you are doing in the most unpleasant way. Combing hair, cleaning fingernails, applying cheek rouge, patting  powder on the face, smoothing eyebrows -- never should be done in public. Never give hair more than a pat in public; do not send dandruff, dust, and loose hair flying into people's faces and into food. Never clean fingernails in public. Use a fingernail brush when you wash your hands and your nails will be clean.

Body Odors 

Body odors are an unforgivable social offense. Deodorants are easy to apply, and immediately effective

The Toucher

Do you  have the habit of touching everything you see?

Do you  have the habit of touching everything you see? Do you walk into stores handling everything on the counter? If you're shown a lovely piece of glass or china in a friend's home, must you handle it until it is covered with finger marks? Never touch anything in the store unless you're considering buying it, in which case you will want to look at it carefully. Never touch anything in a home unless you're invited to do so by word or action.

The Sniffler

Scarlett sniffles..."Never, at any crisis of your life, have I known you to have a handkerchief."

The nervous habit of sniffling or coughing annoys everyone. If you have these habits, consult a doctor if you think you cannot overcome them.

The Picker

Almost all of us have known the "picker" - the person who scratched her scalp...

Almost all of us have known the picker -- the person who picked at her teeth and lips, who scratched her scalp, picked at blemishes, picked her cuticle, or nose. We want to put these people out of our minds as quickly as possible. Picking is a nervous habit practiced while waiting in the easy chair or engaging in conversation. It is a disgusting habit, and every person should make an effort to avoid it. – Source ~ “Searchlight Homemaking Guide,” 1937

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia