Latest news with #tablemanners
The Sun
7 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
The seven things you're doing in restaurants that make you look common without you realising your mistakes
WHEN it comes to eating out at restaurants, your dining habits may make you look more common without you realising. According to an etiquette expert, there are some telltale signs that you aren't as posh as you may think - and there are some traps to avoid. 4 4 Laura Windsor, the Queen of Etiquette, told Fabulous: "They say that a person's education can largely be seen from his or her behaviour at the table. "The rules of table manners are made to avoid ugliness, and making others feel repulsed or disgusted. "Have you seen yourself eating in the mirror? Perhaps it's time that you do remembering these tips while you are at it." Here are seven things you should immediately stop doing, according to Laura, if you want to look more upper class… 1. STACKING PLATES Do not stack plates to help the waiters. Are you the waiter? Do you need a job? You are disrupting the aesthetics of the table, you are implying the waiter doesn't know how to do their job, as well as hinting that you want the waiter to hurry up and clear the table. They have their own method of clearing the table and it can be dangerous. If you don't place your cutlery properly, you might just find a knife has stabbed you in the leg. Don't interfere with someone else's job, they are the professionals. 2. ARRIVING HUNGRY Don't come to the table as if you haven't eaten for a week. Etiquette expert Jo Bryant reveals the right way to use a knife and fork We don't need to go hunting anymore, there are supermarkets. Anything that shows greed is uncouth - smacking your lips, eating with your mouth open and scoffing as much into it as possible likens you to a wild animal. 3. ADDING SALT FIRST Do not sprinkle salt all over your food, especially without tasting it first. This shows that you are on automatic, why not try the food first before you change the taste of it. If you are a guest at someone's house, you may offend them as it is implying that they don't know how to correctly flavour their food. 4. NAPKIN IN COLLAR Don't put your napkin around your neck unless you have time-travelled from the 1600 when men wore ruffled shirts and you needed to keep them pristine. That is reserved for babies alone. When you are out of nappies, then napkins go on your LAP. 4 5. INSISTING ON PAYING THE BILL There is nothing worse than (for those generous enough) competing to pay the bill. Hearing "oh no, let me pay" from one person and the other saying the exact same thing can be embarrassing for those at the table and their neighbours. Control and decorum is always appreciated. 6. OVERUSING NAPKIN Don't spit food into your napkin, or cough into it or use it to blow your nose. It's not there to use as a facecloth, a dustbin or a handkerchief. It's there to dab your lips and collect whatever falls into your lap. You are not an animal. If you need to remove something from your mouth, use one hand to cover the mouth and the other to remove the unwanted grizzle, bone etc, and place it under some other food such as lettuce, for example. 4 7. POINTING WITH FORK Don't gesticulate with your knife and fork. During the Middle Ages you wouldn't have survived the meal, literally, as knives were used both as utensils and weapons. It's pretty inelegant to see someone talk and gesticulate with cutlery. Gesticulating with empty hands is one thing, with cutlery it looks as if you are out of control. So while chewing, place your knife and fork on the plate, fork tines facing down and over the knife in a 4:20 position, if the rim of the plate were a clock. Dinner party and guest etiquette Whether it's your first time hosting friends at your new house, or you're a regular dinner party invitee... Fabulous' Associate Editor, Rebecca Miller, has put together a list of do's and don'ts when it comes to dinner parties and guest etiquette - and it doesn't include sending a guest a bill at the end of the night! Do show up on time - a 10-minute grace period is allowed, but anything longer without letting the host know, is just plain rude. Don't show up empty handed - unless you're popping round for a quick coffee, you should always show up with a small token of your appreciation for the host and their efforts. Flowers, a bottle of wine, candle, or contribute to the dinner by making dessert. Don't start eating until everyone is seated - what might be an obvious rule, it's one many forget. Cooking a meal for a group of people takes a lot of effort, so wait for the host to park themselves, thank them, and await instruction. Don't do the dishes, do clear the table - everyone has their way of cleaning and tidying up. If you swan into the kitchen and start scrubbing, it could be seen as an insult. So help clear the table, and ask if there's anything else you can do - perhaps top up everyone's glass? Get off your phone - few things can make a person feel less seen or important than coming second to a mobile. Leave it in your pocket, and check anything urgent during toilet breaks.
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
American woman living in the UK reveals Brits have called her 'rude' for her typical US habits
An American woman living in the UK has revealed the normal habits in the US that would be considered 'rude' in the UK. The woman, who goes by @ yorkshireyank on TikTok, often speaks about the cultural differences between the two countries. She says that it is deemed normal for American citizens to give tours of their houses to guests, showing them where they cook, do laundry and relax in their spare time. 'This is something that I have personally been privy to and I've personally been walked around people's homes,' she said. 'It's just weird and it would be considered rude in this country (the UK).' She then went on to say that is common for waiters and waitresses to take a customer's debit card away from when paying a bill in a restaurant. 'For about a period of five to ten minutes, you have no idea where your card has been, who has touched it and what has happened to your card in that timeframe, she added. 'In the UK, that just doesn't happen. 'They bring the credit card reader to your table and then they do it right in front of you, so there is no chance of anyone skimming your credit card.' The woman, who lives in Yorkshire, said that there is a big difference between table manners in the US compared to the UK. 'A lot of Americans will say that they know their table manners but you don't them like the Brits do, so let's agree to disagree,' she said. The content creator said that people generally find Americans to be louder than Brits and believes it comes down to the difference in tone. 'I think it's because our accent just carries but sometimes being loud is considered rude,' she said. But sometimes being loud is considered rude because you'll be sitting on a train and the first thing you can hear are these American accents. You can hear us before you can see us.' The last point that the TikToker noted was that manners and said that those from the UK will typically say 'thank you' much more than Americans do. 'Now there are some Americans who will say thank you for everything but there is a large chunk of Americans who will go into a store and say "Hey, where's the flour?" not intending to be rude, when in fact, the Brits will see it as rude. 'All you should just be saying is "Please can you tell me where the flour is?" These are just a few of the differences.' Many people commented their thoughts on the TikTok video with some saying that they would enjoy a house tour The woman then asked for commenters to reveal some of the differences they had noticed between how people carry themselves in the States versus the UK. One wrote: 'I'm so nosy so I'd love a house tour.' Another said: 'Whistling to get the bar staff's attention is a big no no in England.' A third penned: 'House tours when you've just moved in is normal.'
