AmericanTableMannersBeforedining•Beforesittingdowntoaformalmeal,gentlemenstandbehindtheirchairsuntilthewomenareseated.•Aprayeror'blessing'maybecustomaryinsomehouseholds,andtheguestsmayjoininorberespectfullysilent.•Napkinsareplacedinthelap.Atmoreformaloccasionsdinerswillwaittoplacetheirnapkinsontheirlapsuntilthehostplaceshisorhernapkinonhisorherlap.•Atmoreformaloccasionsalldinersshouldbeservedatthesametimeandwillwaituntilthehostessorhostliftsaforkorspoonbeforebeginning.Generalmannerswhiledining•Asisthetraditionalmanner,thefoodmaybepassedaroundorservedbyahostorstaff.•Ifpassed,youshouldpassontheservingdishtothenextpersoninthesamedirectionastheotherdishesarebeingpassed.•Youshouldconsiderhowmuchisontheservingdishandnottakemorethanaproportionalamountsothateveryonemayhavesome.•Ifyoudonotcareforanyofthedish,passittothenextpersonwithoutcomment.•Whenserving,servefromtheleftandpick-upthedishfromtheright.Beverages,however,aretobebothservedaswellasremovedfromtheright-handside.•Dipyoursoupspoonawayfromyouintothesoup.Eatsoupnoiselessly,fromthesideofthespoon.Whenthereisasmallamountleft,youmayliftthefrontendofthedishslightlywithyourfreehandtoenablecollectionofmoresoupwithyourspoon.•Ifyouarehavingdifficultygettingfoodontoyourfork,useasmallpieceofbreadoryourknifetoassist.Neveruseyourfingersorthumb.•ItisacceptableintheUnitedStatesnottoacceptallofferings,andtonotfinishallthefoodonyourplate.Nooneshouldaskwhyanotherdoesn'twantanyofadishorwhyhehasnotfinishedaserving.•Thereshouldbenonegativecommentsaboutthefoodnoroftheofferingsavailable.•Chewwithyourmouthclosed.Donotslurp,talkwithfoodinyourmouth,ormakeloudorunusualnoiseswhileeating.•Say"Excuseme,"or"Excuseme.I'llberightback,"beforeleavingthetable.Donotstatethatyouaregoingtotherestroom.•Donottalkexcessivelyloudly.Giveothersequalopportunitiesforconversation.•Refrainfromblowingyournoseatthetable.Excuseyourselffromthetableifyoumustdoso.•Burping,coughing,yawning,orsneezingatthetableshouldbeavoided.Ifyoudoso,say,"Excuseme."•Neverslouchortiltbackwhileseatedinyourchair.•Donot"playwith"yourfoodorutensils.Neverwaveorpointsilverware.•Youmayrestforearmsorhandsonthetable,butnotelbows•Donottalkonyourphoneor"text"atthetable,orotherwisedosomethingdistracting,suchasreadorlistentoapersonalmusicplayer.Readingatthetableispermittedonlyatbreakfast.Ifanurgentmatterarises,apologize,excuseyourself,andstepawayfromthetablesoyourconversationdoesnotdisturbtheothers.•Iffoodmustberemovedfromthemouthforsomereason,itshouldbedoneusingthesamemethodwhichwasusedtobringthefoodtothemouth,withtheexceptionoffishbones,whichareremovedfromthemouthbetweenthefingers.•Beforeaskingforadditionalhelpings,alwaysfinishtheservingonyourplatefirst.•Gentlemenshouldstandwhenaladyleavesorrejoinsthetableinformalsocialsettings.Attheendofthemeal•Whenyouhavefinishedyourmeal,placeallusedutensilsontoyourplatetogether,ontherightside,pointedup,sothewaiterknowsyouhavefinished.Donotplaceusedutensilsonthetable.•Leavethenapkinontheseatofyourchaironlyifleavingtemporarily.Whenyouleavethetableattheendofthemeal,looselyplacetheusednapkinonthetabletotheleftofyourplate.Thankyou
