Cover your mouth should specify by coughing into your sleeve, not on your hand clapped over your mouth. I learned this during the bird flu epidemic.
Cover your mouth should specify by coughing into your sleeve, not on your hand clapped over your mouth. I learned this during the bird flu epidemic.
Watch the host or hostess for clues.
Don't begin eating until they do.
Especially if you don't agree with something, find a respectful way to state your point of view. If you don't make any headway with a true exchange of ideas, promptly change the subject to something safer.
Along that same line, perhaps come armed with one or two topics to discuss. Current events, hobbies, favorite vacation activity - whatever you feel is on a level of getting the ball rolling without being too personal.
This entire thread makes me tired. Not that I’m anti-manners - but it’s just so unimportant to me ... I’m much more interested in hearing interesting ideas. The list of rules makes it seem that looking and acting the part are more important than the content of one’s thoughts.
Social niceties smooth human communication. Someone coughing in my face turns me off hearing their ideas because their physical presence is prominent. Someone eating like an animal makes it hard for me to respect their intellectual content.
Although granted, eating chicken with fingers doesnt much matter.
I'm not a super mannersy person. I do catch myself putting elbows on the table from time to time. And I couldn't care less what utensil someone uses. But I agree with certain basics. Covering one's mouth/nose when coughing/sneezing and so forth. I don't remember it but apparently my mother could barely eat when we visited my paternal grandparents because my grandfather ate with his mouth open. That, to me, is understandable. Toward that end I also prefer to have some sort of background music when people are eating. The general sounds of people masticating their food grosses me out.
I consider a good host/hostess will prepare enough for seconds for the main course and sides. Taking small amounts of seconds is a compliment to the cooking.
I don't see people placing napkins in their laps much these days. I still consider it good manners, though the practical function may be lost on me since I rarely see people spilling food.
I've had more than one dinner diminished by cell phones. Some one takes out a cell to show a photo of poochie and next thing you know all the cell phones are out looking at the discography of the Rolling Stones instead of good conversation.
More points could have been added. I agree with several items posted here.
My list prints out to a single page. I didn't want to overwhelm the students and have them reject the entire list.
And I wanted them to focus on respect and common sense rather than having them memorize a longer list.
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