Table Manners

nice1franko

ergonomics wrote: »

It's also rude/bad manners to talk about someone or gossip about them behind their back. If you want to be really pedantic about rules, then that's exactly what you are doing. Rules are rules.

Whispered

Newaglish wrote: »

Holding white wine glass anywhere but the stem (there is good reason for this).

Um, isn't it that you hold white wine and champers by the stem to keep it cool, red wine by the glass as it's better slightly warmer? In fact, I was watching a programme where an etiquette teacher slated a girl for holding by the stem saying it was the height of bad manners and a false rule which tends to be used by people who have no real etiquette.

My main thing is when people don't respect your personal space, stretch over my food etc. This though is not just with the table and hate anyone invading my space anyway. Besides that, I think it's the height of bad manners to talk about your guests after they leave and notice little things like which hand they hold their knife in. Not very gracious of a host. Surely you should be enjoying the company of friends rather than noticing little things like that?

Dave!

Quality wrote: »

Elbows on tables. Using the cutlery in the wrong hands. Belching. Chewing with the mouth open.

Does this annoy anyone else?

Do you have manners?

Bloody hell, remind me to skip your dinner parties...... what kind of stupid sh*t is that? If my elbows were banging off my neighbour then I would put them down, but as a rule? Me arse. As for using cutlery in the wrong hands....... sounds like snobby, bourgeoisie crap to me. What the hell difference does that make?

LouOB

Newaglish wrote: »

Scratching the plate
QUOTE]


This drives me bonkers :pac:
Too many times have I sat beside other diners in restaurants and scratching (attacking) the plate with knife and fork.

Newaglish

helena.ryan wrote: »

Um, isn't it that you hold white wine and champers by the stem to keep it cool, red wine by the glass as it's better slightly warmer? In fact, I was watching a programme where an etiquette teacher slated a girl for holding by the stem saying it was the height of bad manners and a false rule which tends to be used by people who have no real etiquette.

Firstly, re-read my post and secondly, I think you contradict yourself there towards the end!

How is it a false rule? I don't like my white wine warm!

Lockstep

Most table manners are bollocks TBH.


Who cares if you put your elbows on the table or use the knife and fork in different hands?
There's just no logical explanation for it.



Eating with your mouth open or eating with your fingers are seen as bad manners for a reason (unpleasant to look at/unhygienic)


But elbows?


CALL THE ARMY! SOMEONE IS ATTEMPTING TO DRINK TEA OUT OF A POT THAT WASN'T PRE-WARMED!

July

stovelid wrote: »

Belching loudly, and especially eating with your mouth open, are a big no-no.

Using cutlery in the wrong hands, or putting your elbows on the table at an informal meal seem more like outdated etiquette issues, and I certainly wouldn't care about it.

Agreed.

bluewolf wrote: »

I think it is more a matter of etiquette than manners.

Agreed.

kickoutthejams wrote: »

Most table manners are bollocks TBH.


Who cares if you put your elbows on the table or use the knife and fork in different hands?
There's just no logical explanation for it.



Eating with your mouth open or eating with your fingers are seen as bad manners for a reason (unpleasant to look at/unhygienic)


But elbows?

Agreed.

I think it's worse to mess your food all over the table/on your lap/on the floor just because you 'have to' use the hand that feels unnatural to you.

Let's say I made up a rule that you had to brush your teeth using your 'wrong' hand, just because I decided it was the 'proper' way to do it. What sense would that make? Or, you 'have to' pick up your pint with your left hand because it 'offends me' to see you pick it up with your right..

I'm all for manners. Etiquette in this context can feck off!

cashback

I can almost imagine the OP sitting aghast at the table with an expression on his/her face as though someone has just farted.

Seriously who likes belching or eating with the mouth open, but being horrified at wrong hands for cutlery or elbows on tables is a little excessive.

I eat with the wrong hands, I can only imagine the scenes at the table if I tried to change now!

luckat

In America it's 'correct' to cut up the food, holding the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right, then put the knife aside and eat with the fork in the right hand.

In most of Europe it's considered vulgar to butter a big bruising piece of bread and take bites out of it. The 'correct' way to do it is to tear off a bite-sized bit, butter that and eat it, and repeat ad lib.

East German girls who stayed with me laid the table by putting knife and fork together at the top end of the plate.

And so on. 'Correct' manners just vary. Surely what's correct is whatever makes both you and the people with you comfortable? Obviously hacking at meat isn't great, though which hand you hold the cutlery in isn't that important.

But maybe a few 'rules':

Starting to gobble up your food before everyone else is served is inconsiderate.

Elbows on table...well, I wouldn't worry about that myself.

Mouth open and belching and slushing and gulping - eugh. Huge mouthfuls ditto.

People who chop off the nose of the cheese - the tastiest bit - rather than taking a slice at the side: selfish.

There's a delicate line to tread about leaping to your feet and helping your hosts to carry dishes, wash up, etc. Some hosts like to feel that they're treating you, and don't want any help. Others are really glad to have you wash up after eating, so they have a clean kitchen after all their work. Depends, too, on the level of friendship.

Conversation: I've been at dinners where people scream at their spouses, and everyone else has to be the embarrassed audience. I've been at dinners where someone wanted to flirt with another person, and completely ignored the lonely old auntie beside them.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

I assume turnign the table over, dropping your pants and having your way with the umbrella hole in the middle a la boke in the sex pervert thread is out of the question...?

ninty9er

Well I'm right handed and eat "the wrong way round". My dad is a leftie and eats "the right way" My mother used to give out to me but after a few serious shouting matches she eventually copped herself on.

I eat soup "properly" i.e gather away from you (with spoon in right). Wouldn't bother me what other people do though

I *can* eat the "right way round" but find it uncomfortable. Elbows on table is a no-no when eating, but if not actually using cutlery I see no problem (exception for kids as they're physically able to cut and eat with their elbows on the table).

While I find the fist thing wierd, if someone is more comfortable eating that way, then it's hardly going to kill me to eat at the same table. Our old parish priest did this when he was eating (always managed to turn up to houses at dinner time:D:D)

bitemybanger

You can belch, you can fart, you can put youre elbows on the table, you can even eat with youre hands, Just close youre mouth when chewing and dont talk with youre mouth full, Eating noises will make me kill:mad:

Jesus Wept

Elbows on the table ftw. It's not comparable to chewing with your mouth open.
How it is deemed bad manners I will never understand.
Same with using your fork/knife in whatever hand you feel comfortable with, you Nazis.

+eleventy to the AlmightyC one.

luckat

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

I assume turnign the table over, dropping your pants and having your way with the umbrella hole in the middle a la boke in the sex pervert thread is out of the question...?

It depends on the company. Whatever is appropriate and will make your fellow diners feel comfortable and at home.

JIZZLORD

as long as this guy is kept away from your table all should be fine
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/31/picnic_table_incident/