Some good to know

Table Manners

At the dinner table. What you should not do. And, where everything goes so that you know what’s yours and don’t take someone else’s fork, or bread or glass.

The master list of do-not’s at table:

• Don’t burp at table (or at any other point during the evening).
• Don’t slurp your soup or other liquids.
• Don’t take a drink without first using your napkin.
• Don’t hold the glass to your mouth and take long, long drinks.
• Don’t blow your nose at table.
• Don’t chew with your mouth open.
• Don’t pick your teeth at table.
• Don’t slouch at table.
• Don’t let your elbows touch the table.
• Don’t bring your face toward the plate when you eat.
• Don’t scratch at table, especially not your feet or rump.
• Don’t lift the corner of your soup plate to get the last drops.
• Don’t lick the plate or the utensils.
• Don’t take someone else’s plate or utensils or food.
• Don’t reach over to grab the things you want, ask instead.
• Don’t sit and start eating until everyone is pretty much seated.
• Don’t play with your utensils or plates.
• Don’t bang your soup spoon in the soup plate, or against your teeth.
• Don’t pick at your food.
• Don’t make little castles with your mashed potatoes, or count your peas, etc.
• Don’t cut up your entire steak or other meat and then start eating.
• Don’t throw food.
• Don’t feed your date from your fork (or his).
• Don’t gobble your food as if you were in a race.
• Don’t talk with your mouth full.
• Don’t put junk on the table, like purse, false teeth, etc.

Where everything goes:

a) Your plates goes in the middle.

b) The knives and spoons go on your right.

c) The forks and napkin go on your left.

d) Liquids, including water, juice, etc., go on your right.

e) Solids like bread go on your left.

So when you sit, take a look at all this stuff in front of you and make sure you know what’s yours.

How to eat:

1. As soon as you sit, put the napkin in your lap. Not tucked under your chin or on your head or under your arm, but in your lap.

2. If you’re going to take a piece of bread and butter it--which is what 99% of us do as soon as we sit--then do it like this: put the piece of bread in your bread plate (on your left). Take a blob of butter from the main dish (or open up one of those little covered ones) and put this in your plate. Then rip off a piece of bread from the slice or bun and butter that. Do not butter the entire bread.

3. You’ll probably find a couple forks and knives sitting next to your plate. Which do you use for what, or which do you use first? Do it this way: start on the outside and work your way in. When the first dish of whatever arrives, use the fork furthest away from the plate, and the knife furthest away from the plate. When the next dish arrives, use the next fork and knife in the line, and so on. If your eating area gets a little disorganized, then follow this rule for your fork: the smaller fork is for salad. The larger fork is for your main dish. If both are the same size, then don’t worry about it.

4. So how do you hold a fork and knife, anyway? Fork goes in your left hand, knife goes in your right hand. The fork’s tines (business end) should be facing down. Don’t hold your fork or your knife in your fist. Place your index finger on top of either of them and push downward with that. Spear your food with your fork, then cut the piece you want to eat, then put your knife down in the plate. Switch your fork from your left hand to your right hand, its tines still pointing downward, and eat. You won’t be in Europe for prom. But if you were, then don’t switch your fork from your left to your right. They don’t do that over there.

5. If you’re going to put your fork or other utensils down while you eat, make sure you always put them inside the plate. Never let them touch the table again after you’ve started using them. This includes your bread knife and everything else. When you put your fork and knife down inside the plate, make sure one is on each side, never both on the same side, not until you’re done.

6. Placing your utensils and finishing up. If you want to take a break in the middle of your meal, or if you have to get up for something, then place your fork and knife inside your plate in the form of an X. The fork goes on the left, the knife goes on the right, and both their pointy ends should be pointing away from you. If you’re finished eating and you want the waiter to take the dirty dish away, or you’re getting up for good, then place your fork and knife side by side, again with the pointy ends facing away from you. These should be placed in the eleven o’clock position, that is, pointing up at eleven o’clock like the hands of a clock.