Etiquette of British Food–French Style

In England, a fish knife is always served with fish. You will take it for a butter knife, but as you will look in vain for the butter, you are safe in using it for fish. Bread is served as an article of food and is not used as a pusher. The fork is always kept in the left hand, not juggled from one hand to the other. Vegetables, including peas, are mashed on the back of it with a knife. Small knives and forks are served with all fruits. Under no circumstances is fruit desecrated by a touch of the fingers. A fork and dessert spoon are served with all desserts. You push the confection on the spoon with the fork and proceed as usual. - Above, an early 1900’s British-made, individual fish knife and fish fork. The fish knife blade is designed so that anyone unfamiliar with this set otherwise, would understand it is for eating fish.

To Be a Gentleman Abroad...

The Way One Must Eat in England and Dress in France 

In polite society in England, a fish knife is always served with fish. You will take it for a butter knife, but as you will look in vain for the butter, you are safe in using it for fish. Bread is served as an article of food and is not used as a pusher. The fork is always kept in the left hand, not juggled from one hand to the other. Vegetables, including peas, are mashed on the back of it with a knife. Small knives and forks are served with all fruits. Under no circumstances is fruit desecrated by a touch of the fingers. A fork and dessert spoon are served with all desserts. You push the confection on the spoon with the fork and proceed as usual. Tea, coffee and cocoa are not sipped with a spoon. A teaspoon is to stir with. After it has served that purpose, its little mission is over, and it reposes placidly on the saucer. When you have finished with them, the knife and fork are placed on the plate directly in front of you. While dining, under no circumstances allow them to rest half on the plate and half on the table. You may be called a ‘‘rower” if you do. 

Bread is broken with one hand only, the left one usually. All vegetables, excepting asparagus, are served on the dinner plate. You will look for the birds bath tubs in vain. You may break all the Ten Commandments, but by observing the above and taking a daily tub you will pass for a gentleman. By failure in any one of these details you will find yourself utterly déclassé. In England all social etiquette that is not English, is vulgar. When you reach France, however, you may relapse into all your little home comforts. You may pick your teeth and manicure your nails in a restaurant, and you can eat anything you like with your fingers. You may omit your daily tub and patronize the “parfumerie.” But if you wish to be a gentleman you must wear smart clothes, smart clothes consisting chiefly of gayly colored waistcoats, socks and ties. The most important man in France is the hotel concierge. He possesses the “open sesame” of all things. After you have paid your respects to him in due form, you may consider yourself one of the initiated. – New York Sun, 1913

Etiquette Enthusiast, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia 

Outrageous 18th C. Fashion Etiquette

Trends in fashion etiquette, which ruled at the court of Versailles and influenced fashion beyond France, were so over-the-top outrageous, that this parody of an elaborate “hairstyle” is not too far off from some of the actual style fads of the day. Titled “The Lady’s Maid, or Toilet Headdress,” this features an anonymous woman with her hair in an overly exaggerated inverted pyramid, which fills the greater part of the hair design and is supporting a dressing-table, draped with muslin festoons and holding a large oval mirror, a pair of candlesticks, vases of flowers, a watch, a pin-cushion, toiletries, a pair of buckles, rings, a necklace, two books, a pen, small scissors and more. circa 1776 

— Source British Museum .org

Ancient Fashion Jargon 

The language of the fashion plate and the woman’s paper is sufficiently appalling to the mere man even in these days of emancipated and, we may presume, more grammatical womanhood; but, according to an extract from a fashion journal of 1787, the jargon of those days was even more astounding. 

This is how the paper described the dress of a certain Mlle. D. at the opera: “She appeared in a dress of ‘stifled sighs,’ ornamented with ‘superfluous regrets,’ the bodice cut in a ‘perfect candor’ point and trimmed with ‘indiscreet complaints.’ Her hair was dressed in ‘sustained sentiments,’ with a headdress of ‘sustained conquest,’ ornamented with several ‘flyaways’ and ‘downcast eye’ ribbons, and her collar was ‘beggar on horseback’ color.”

No doubt all these marvelous terms conveyed some meaning to the fashionable woman of the days when French society danced on the edge of the volcano of 1789, but to their descendants of today, they have absolutely no meaning. — San Bernardino Sun, 1908

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

Etiquette and French Calves

According to all rules of precedent and etiquette, if knee breeches must be donned, and nature has been unkind to the wearer he must call in artificial aid.

Coronation Calves to Order
A Parisian Industry Being Boomed by Thin British Shanks

Parisians must and will be amused. When there is nothing to occupy their attention they upset ministries and raise barricades. Consequently one must not begrudge them their joke, even if it is a “false calf.” 

It would appear, or at least Parisian news-sheets tell us so, that a certain quantity of artificial calves are being manufactured in Paris in view of the Coronation festivities. We are not all Pickwicks, with a well-filled gaiter, and when, according to all rules of precedent and etiquette, knee breeches must be donned, if nature has been unkind to the wearer he must call in artificial aid. Consequently the trade in artificial calves is very brisk. 

It has been found, however, that even without such an incentive as the coronation fetes the artlficial-calf industry is regularly occupied in manufacturing such articles for home consumption. Frenchmen must not chaff England in this respect, for every year numerous French cyclists, society men—yes, and society women —invest thirty francs in padding for their nether limbs. 

We must therefore add another article to the list of adulterated and imitated goods mentioned above, for even legs are not always what they seem. —From the Los Angeles Herald, as printed in the Paris Messenger, 1902

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