10 More Etiquette Tips of 1940

The salt and pepper shakers should be removed from the dinner table on a tray with the rest of the food from the preceding course, before the dessert is brought in.

1. The salt and pepper shakers should be removed from the dinner table on a tray with the rest of the food from the preceding course, before the dessert is brought in.
2. You may serve the guests first or not at your dinner, as you wish. However, if the dish being served is unusual, or if the guests may not know how much of it to take, a good idea is for the hostess to be served first and the guests can follow her example. 
3. The general rule (with American dining) when serving a meal is that everything is served and removed from the left except beverages and extra silver, which are placed at the right.
4. When two men are dining in a restaurant, each gives his order to the waiter, even it one is the guest of the other.
5. If a girl and man are waiting for a cab, the girl should let the man hail it when it comes.
6. Children should be cautioned about blocking the sidewalks with their roller skating, marble playing, rope skipping and other activities. or of bumping into passing adults. It is never too early to teach youngsters consideration for others the foundation of good citizenship. 
7. Listen to your own voice and intonations. It is not only pleasing, but it is good manners to speak pleasantly in a low, quiet voice, which can be acquired if you will but watch your tones and lower those high notes to make them clearly audible but pleasantly low pitched. A pleasant cordial voice will help you win friends.
8. When leaving a large tea or reception it is not necessary to go to the receiving line and say goodbye before leaving. 
9. A mother does not give a bridal shower for a daughter, or a sister for her sister. If mother or sister wish to entertain for the bride-to-be. They may provide material for something for the new home, like tea towels or napkins, and let the guests work on them, but not expect said guests to bring gifts.
10. On the wedding day, the bride either leaves her engagement ring at home or wears it on her right hand, as the wedding ring should not be put on over the engagement ring. 

From the “Grab Bag” feature in the Imperial Valley Press, 1940

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

10 Etiquette Tips of 1940

To help children acquire poise and ease of manner at the table, they should be given a reasonable amount of attention. They should be encouraged to join in the general conversation and not rudely interrupted, or how can they learn to listen attentively and politely to others? 

 Hints on Etiquette from 1940

1. Ice cream served à la mode (on pie) is eaten with a fork. 
2. The bride rides to church in the car with her father, not with the bridesmaid or with her husband-to-be. 
3. To help children acquire poise and ease of manner at the table, they should be given a reasonable amount of attention. They should be encouraged to join in the general conversation and not rudely interrupted, or how can they learn to listen attentively and politely to others? 
4. It is the woman's place to proffer her hand to a man if she wishes to shake hands with him. However, if the man is used to shaking hands at meeting, and holds out his hand, she should shake hands with him even if she didn't intend to. 
5. You can train yourself to be a good mixer if you make a habit of always being interested in other people and showing it by your speech and actions.
6. Talk of one's personal problems and woes in public places, and in a tone of voice which easily carries to those within range, is never good taste. 
7. When you have finished your soup, if it is served in a regular soup bowl, wide and shallow, put the spoon in the bowl itself when you have finished. When eating soup out of a bouillon cup, however, put the spoon in the saucer or plate in which the cup stands.
8. It is good manners as well as good morals to suppress any unpleasant thing you may have heard of a person and tell those which are pleasant and to their credit. 
9. It is not considered good manners to smoke while dancing.
10. Ushers at a church wedding should be at the church about an hour before the time set for the ceremony. 

From the “Grab Bag” feature in the Imperial Valley Press, 1940

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

More 1930’s Etiquette Advice

In Continental Dining, the salad course is served after the main course, as it is felt that the salad “aids in digestion.” Thus, the salad fork and salad knife at the place setting, are the closest to the left and right sides of the plate. — “Cutting dinner salads with a table knife is permissible under dictates of the new etiquette.”

8 More Hints on Etiquette 

A high school boy should not only rise when a lady enters the room, but also when a girl over 12 years old enters. — 1937

Modern etiquette considers it in good taste to serve the woman guest of honor first rather than the hostess. — 1937

Informal teas are held in the living room, on porch or lawn. They are never served in the dining room. — 1937

Faultless etiquette is never more desirable than at the bridge table. The ideal player does not argue, snap the cards, whistle or take excessive time in playing. — 1937

It is poor etiquette to permit a child to run up and down a railroad car. — 1937

Cutting dinner salads with a table knife is permissible under dictates of the new etiquette. — 1937

Courtesy should prevail on the highway as well as in the ballroom. The keynote of road etiquette is “consideration”. — 1938

The new etiquette does not look with favor upon stilted speech. The first law of good speech is to say the natural, spontaneous thing in a natural, spontaneous way. — 1938

 From the “Grab Bag” feature in the Imperial Valley Press, 1937 and 1938

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

The Unclassified Laws of Etiquette

From “Hill’s Manual of Social and Business Forms: Guide to Correct Writing with Approved Methods in Speaking and Acting in the Various Relations of Life” 

 Thomas E. Hill, 1875

Hill's Unclassified Laws of Etiquette

• Never exaggerate.
• Never point at another.
• Never betray a confidence.
• Never leave home with unkind words.
• Never neglect to call upon your friends.
• Never laugh at the misfortunes of others. 
• Never give a promise that you do not fulfill.
• Never question a child about family matters.
• Never send a present, hoping for one in return.
• Never speak much of your own performances.
• Never fail to be punctual at the time appointed.
• Never make yourself the hero of your own story.
• Never pick the teeth or clean the nails in company.
• Never fail to give a polite answer to a civil question.
• Never present a gift saying that it is of no use to yourself.
• Never read letters which you may find addressed to others.
• Never fail, if a gentleman, of being civil and polite to ladies.
• Never call attention  to the features or form of anyone present.
• Never refer to a gift you have made, or favor you have rendered.
• Never associate with bad company. Have good company, or none.
• Never look over the shoulder of another who is reading or writing.
• Never call a new acquaintance by their first name unless requested.
• Never appear to notice a scar, deformity, or defect of anyone present.
• Never arrest the attention of an acquaintance by touch. Speak to him.
• Never punish your child for a fault to which you are addicted yourself.
• Never answer questions in general company that have been put to others.
• Never, when traveling abroad, be over boastful in praise of your own country.
• Never lend an article you have borrowed, unless you have permission to do so.
• Never attempt to draw the attention of the company constantly upon yourself.
• Never exhibit anger, impatience or excitement, when an accident happens.
• Never pass between two persons who are talking together, without an apology.
• Never enter a room noisily; never fail to close the door after you, and never slam it.
• Never forget that, if you are faithful in a few things, you may be ruler over many.
• Never exhibit too great familiarity with the new acquaintance, you may give offense.
• Never will a gentleman allude to conquests which he may have made with ladies.
• Never be guilty of the contemptible meanness of opening a private letter addressed to another.
• Never fail to offer the easiest and best seat in the room to an invalid, an elderly person, or a lady.
• Never neglect to perform the commission which the friend entrusted to you. You must not forget.

• Never send your guest, who is accustomed to a warm room, off into  a cold, damp, spare bed, to sleep.
• Never enter a room filled with people, without a slight bow to the general company when first entering.
• Never fail to answer an invitation, either personally or by letter, within a week after the invitation is received.
• Never accept of favors and hospitality without rendering an exchange of civilities when opportunity offers.
• Never cross the leg and put one foot in the street-car, or places where it will trouble others when passing by.
• Never fail to tell the truth. If truthful, you get your reward. You will get your punishment if you deceive.
• Never borrow money and neglect to pay. If you do, you will soon be known as a person of no business integrity.
• Never write to another asking for information, or a favor of any kind, without enclosing a postage stamp for the reply.
• Never fail to say kind and encouraging words to those whom you meet in distress. Your kindness may lift them out of their despair.
• Never refuse to receive an apology. You may not receive friendship, but courtesy will require, when a apology is offered, that you accept it.
• Never examine the cards in the card-basket. While they may be exposed in the drawing room, you are not expected to turn them over unless invited to do so.
• Never, when walking arm in arm with a lady, be continually changing and going to the other side, because of change of corners. It shows too much attention to form.
• Never insult another with harsh words when applied to for a favor. Kind words do not cost much, and yet they may carry untold happiness to the one to whom they are spoken.
• Never fail to speak kindly. If a merchant, and you address your clerk; if an overseer, and you address your workman; if in any position where you exercise authority, you show yourself to be a gentleman by your pleasant mode of address.
• Never attempt to convey the impression that you are a genius, by imitating the faults of distinguished men. Because certain great men were poor penmen, wore long hair, or had other peculiarities, it does not follow that you will be great by imitating their eccentricities.
• Never give all your pleasant words and smile to strangers. The kindest words and the sweetest smiles should be reserved for home. Home should be our heaven.