Etiquette Tips from Polished Peyton
If you know me, you realize I was ecstatic when Downton Abbey: A New Era was announced. I love the show. I love the storylines, I love the costumes, and I absolutely love the dining scenes. Not because I dine that way each evening (far from it) but, because I am fascinated with how they spent so much time eating, visiting, turning right, then left, barely sipping wine. My, what Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, would think if she dined with all of us one evening!
While so much about etiquette is situational, many of the rules have stayed the same. If you are reading this, I assure you that you know most of the rules, but I have a few that all of us have surely broken at times.
1. Don’t “clink” your beverage glass. This is especially true with very fine crystal as it could break.
2. Keep the rim of your plate clean. This serves two purposes. It helps the server as he/she clears the table, and it also keeps your plate nice looking—which is important.
3. Never announce that you’re going to the restroom. Never. Never. Your only statement as you excuse yourself from the table should be, “Please excuse me.”
4. In the United States, always leave one bite of food on your plate. Eating every bite could indicate to your host that you are still hungry and that he/she did not serve enough.
5. Do not lift your menu off the table. During formal dinners, your menu should always touch the table.
6. Keep your bread on your plate. Do not lift your roll or bread to take a bite. Break off a small piece to put in your mouth for each bite.
7. Once you drink from a glass, sip from the same place on the glass throughout dinner. This is to avoid lipstick rings and grease/food rings on your glass.
8. Fold your napkin with the crease toward your lap. Sit down. Once you remove your napkin from the table, crease it and put the crease toward your lap.
9. Most people believe there is only one correct style of eating. In fact, there are two styles when using silverware in the United States: American style and Continental (or European) Style. You cut your food and raise your fork to your mouth without setting the knife down. You are also flipping the fork over. This style appears odd to some, but it is a correct style of eating.
Right now, you’re probably thinking…formal dinner? When will I attend a formal dinner? You will and you do more often than you realize. Wedding receptions are often sit-down dinners. Debutante balls, corporate dinners, non-profit events, and fundraisers. Remembering a few of these tips, making small talk and being kind will put you at the top of the great guest list.
