AmericanTableMannersTheRoleofManners
ThereisnotmuchcallforacompleteworkingknowledgeoftablemannersinAmericatoday
Manyfamiliesonlygatherallatoncearoundthedinnertableatholidayfeasts,andmostrestaurantsaretoocasualtorequire,oreventoallowfor,morethanbasicgoodtablemanners
If,havingdroppedhisnapkin,adineratabistroweretoattempttopracticeproperetiquettebysignalingamemberofthestafftobringafreshone,hewouldprobablyhavetodowithoutanapkinatall
Tryashemighttomakeeyecontactandindicatethenatureoftheproblemwithasubtlewiggleoftheeyebrowanddownwardflickeroftheglance,heislikelytosucceedonlyincausinghisdatetothinkheismakingaplayfortheserver
Althoughstrictgoodmannersforbidplacingausedeatingutensilbackonthetable,theserverremovingaplateonwhichaforkhasquiteproperlybeenpositioned"pointingat11o'clock"mightjustplopthat