So, You are Invited to Your Boss’s Coveted Dinner Party…. And You Haven’t a Clue How to Eat Around a Fancy Dinner Table…..
TABLE MANNERS
There is no getting away from the need for good table manners. Knowing how to act at a dinner table is going to make your job a lot easier and more enjoyable. The most important thing to remember is simply to follow the host’s lead. After she takes the first bite of her food, you may begin eating…unless she tells you to go ahead and eat so that your food doesn’t get cold.
Top 20 Unmannerly Manners…
1. Don’t put too much food into your mouth.
2. Don’t talk with your mouth full.
3. Don’t pile too much food on your plate; it will probably make you eat faster, which can lead to talking with your mouth full.
4. Don’t drink alcohol unless your host orders a drink first. Do not drink more than one or two drinks. It is always acceptable to refuse.
5. Sit up straight, but not stiffly.
6. Men should make sure all of the women are seated before they sit.
7. When you’re not eating, keep your hands in your lap. Don’t fidget.
8. Elbows may rest gently on the edge of the table between courses, but not while you’re eating.
9. Don’t take up more elbowroom than you need while eating; be considerate of your neighbors.
10. Never chew with your mouth open or make loud noises when you eat.
11. When cutting food (meat, salad, etc.), cut enough for two or three mouthfuls and eat those before cutting more. Don’t cut your whole steak at once.
12. Place a used teabag beside your cup on your saucer.
13. Don’t leave the spoon in your coffee cup or soup bowl.
14. Do not break crackers into your soup. When crackers are served, break off a bite-sized portion and place the remaining cracker on the under plate.
15. The salad fork and knife are those closest to the plate, but if the entrée and the salad are served at the same time, go ahead and use the entrée fork for both.
16. If someone asks for the salt, pass both the salt and pepper together. Taste your food first before adding salt.
17. Women shouldn’t leave a lipstick mark on their glass.
18. Don’t order one of the most expensive things on the menu, and don’t order more than two courses unless your host suggests that it’s all right. Also, don’t order a first course if no one else does.
19. Don’t offer to pay if you are an invited guest.
20. Don’t ask for a “doggy bag,” and try not to order more than you are going to eat.