Talk:Table manners

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[edit] Rewrite!!

I know I am a picky person, but could it be possible to rewrite it so the article does not simply list table manners of random countries? The article now does not seem to be very encyclopedic. I am willing to contribute, if anybody agrees? 69.141.165.175 21:56, 28 August 2007 (UTC)Wikiwikiwakoo

If nobody likes this idea, that's okay, but I'd like to edit some of the stuff in this page anyhow...for example, I was browsing through Chinese table manners....not only were the rules there poorly-written and somewhat redundant, many were common sense (eg not banging chopsticks like drumsticks) 69.141.165.175 21:57, 28 August 2007 (UTC)Wikiwikiwakoo

[edit] Citations?

Can we get some citation for any of this?--Vidkun 03:41, 8 March 2006 (UTC)

Table manners aren't really anthing that one would cite, it is just sort of knowledge - if you are American, and sufficently educated, you just know American table manners. There is no research on the issue, it just sort of is... Same for other nations, although I do not know much of foreign table manners. -zappa 03:52, 29 March 2006 (UTC)

It's polite to say "please" and "thank you" in France, but not in the U.S.? The Afghani rules seem like some American patriot trying to smear Afghanistan and make it seem primative. In Russia, you must say "Thanks, that was tasty?" This article is kind of pointless.

Here's some citations[1][2]. Samw 21:59, 2 April 2006 (UTC)

"The Afghani rules seem like some American patriot..." You're obviously not Afghani, have never been to Afghanistan, or simply just don't know any Afghanis. These rules ARE accurate and this is how it's traditionally done in Afghani homes.

This entire article sucks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.173.38.112 (talk • contribs) 15:24, 25 July 2006
Yes, and displaying good manners probably sucks, too. Your comment reflects poorly on the student body of Dalhousie University. —QuicksilverT @ 05:52, 25 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Chinese Table Manners

There is an excellent essay on Chinese table manners, titled Chinese Table Manners: You Are How You Eat by Eugene Cooper. It can be found in Applying Cultural Anthropology An Introductory Reader, 7th Edition [3] [ISBN 0073530921] - Cybergoth 20:51, 26 July 2006 (UTC)

this might be useful:
http://www.nychinatown.com/chinese_table_manners(1).htm
Peterwhy 12:12, 19 August 2006 (UTC)


Please merge this text in. Chinese table manners is being deleted. - UtherSRG (talk) 12:29, 27 October 2006 (UTC)

Unlike China's neighbor everybody at the table shares plates and dishes. In Asia, everybody gets one plate and they put their food on there plates. Not only do you have to say how good the food is, but if you do not like the food in which you were presented, put it aside and say thank you in a polite tone. Never should you stick your chopsticks a bowl of rice so that they stand upright, this means death to the host. When somebody in the family is to die or pass on, the family would stick a pair of chopsticks in a bowl of sand or rice. So instead of putting the chopsticks upright in the bowl, stick them in opposite directions of each other on the side of the bowl. When you go to get a drink of tea, as you go to put it down make sure that you put the stout of the pot away, so that it's not pointing in anybody direction. It is being rude to your host, as well as disrespectful. As you eat, make sure that you do not tap the side of your bowl with you chopsticks. These means that you are begging, and in resturants, people do this to jesture to the cook that he is taking to long and is doing a bad job. If you were to do this at the home, you are insulting the host, and saying he is doing a bad job.

[edit] Cuttlery

Continental fashion? zig zag fashion? Nessuno834 02:13, 31 August 2006 (UTC)

Descriptions can be found here http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/Lifestyle/proper_table_manners.htm, I'll leave it to someone else to add them Will Bradshaw 10 Oct 19:25 (BST)

[edit] Propose merge of fork etiquette into Table manners

Most of the information in Fork etiquette seems to be duplicated here, and it is not really just limited to the fork.


I think that it should be included into table manners

Don't merge, the subject has enough information to warrant its own article. -THB 04:31, 26 November 2006 (UTC) Definitely do not merge. Fork etiquette is a fascinating stand-alone subject in its own right. --Gene_poole 23:15, 1 February 2007 (UTC) Merge or linkLizzie Harrison 14:49, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Vague Instructions

There are a few prescriptions on this page that are kind of vague. For example in the section on British table manners, it says "Cutlery is used in the Continental fashion." but there's no indication on the page as to what the "Continental fastion" is. The section on Afghanii manners seems to contradict itself within one list item:

"Traditionally food should be eaten with bare hands; However, cutlery is sometimes provided. Only use your right hand when eating with your hands. There are proper ways of picking up rice and other loose food without spilling any, which one should learn and practice. Wasting food is frowned upon. When cutlery is provided it is usually a spoon and fork since there is seldom need for the use of a knife when eating Afghani food. Even when cutlery is provided it is acceptable to eat with your hands interchangebly."

It says first that one must always eat with the right hand, then says that they can both be used. I'm not familiar with the particulars of Afghan manners, but being a primarily Muslim country I would guess they should use the right hand. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Yipely (talk • contribs) 04:45, 5 December 2006 (UTC).

The various sections of this article are inconsistent with one another. Also, several of the characteristics are silly, some even ridiculous, ex: "Never ask for a doggy bag when having a formal dinner." & "Tea or coffee should never be poured into the saucer to cool..."

I think it is important to have good table manners, and various aspects of this article detract from the seriousness it should have.

201.218.110.115 06:37, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

Why, specifically, do you consider those two ridiculous? You should bear in mind that people reading this may have no cultural awareness of the culture described at all. Notinasnaid 10:56, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] British Table Manners

I disagree with the comments on placing of the knife and fork to indicate whether you are still eating or finished. When you put yout cutlery down but haven't finished eating it should be placed with the fork at the eight o'clock position with the prongs down, and the knife at the four o'clock position. When you have finished both knife and fork should be placed at the four o'clock position, fork prongs up. I worked for a number of years as a waiter in hotels so must have observed thousands of people eating, and these are the signals I worked from. Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?

While I am on the topic, the British table manners section seems a little short given how many rules of etiquette there really are out there. Given that most British people regard American eating habits as a little vulgar, shouldn't the British manners sections be longer and seem more anally retentive?!Ewan carmichael 15:28, 2 March 2007 (UTC)

I agree that the placing of the knife and fork is represented incorrectly in this article, I have observed diners to place the fork at the eight o'clock position with the prongs down, and the knife at the four o'clock position, to indicate that they have not finished, though I did not use this as a clue when I was a waiter. My clues came either from the fork being placed prongs up with the knife rested in between the middle two prongs, or simply that the plate had been moved slightly towards the centre of the table when the diner has finished, which while it may not be technically correct, it is a common practice. Tezp 12:55, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

Most of this bit has been copied from this page: [4] which is © Mandy Barrow. I think it'll have to be removed. Also, I agree with the four-o'clock and eight-o'clock thing to indicate you're not done at a meal. I don't know if I was bought up strictly, but I was taught a lot more manners than this... I remember getting a telling off EVERY time I put my elbow on the table until I stopped doing it. Argh. O2mcgovem 23:56, 13 August 2007 (UTC)

I just finished editing the section. It's not copyright Mangy Barrow and I added a lot of stuff. Can anybody think of anything else? O2mcgovem 02:34, 14 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Inaccurate American Table Manners

Most of the table manners in this section is either complete BS or is just plain common sense that is not exclusive to the US.

"When a dish is presented, the food is served to one's plate and then passed on to the next person." No kidding!!! "Never leave home hungry. Leave for your destination at least half full just in case your host is late in preparing diner or the food is displeasing." WTF???? Complete BS.

"Tea or coffee should never be poured into the saucer to cool but should be sipped from the cup. Alternatively, ice may be used to cool either." Pour into the saucer??? Who would EVER pour tea into the saucer?????? And I've never seen ice dropped into hot tea.

"When at an informal dinner, ask for a box when full." No, it is not a requirement to do this. And this only happens at cheap restaurants. I'd never ask for a box if I had dinner at someone's house.WACGuy 00:51, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

"One should not announce one's urgent necessity to defecate with spoken analogies such as "I am now going to attack the Chileans", or "I have to run go send a fax"."

Part of me just desperately wants "attacking the Chileans" to be a real Peruvian metaphor for defecation.


I'm new to Wikipedia, so please forgive any errors I may make while replying to your comment.... About the food being served to one plate and then passed on, that is actually more of an American custom. For example, many of my friends who are Chinese (not that most Chinese do this, they may, I do not know) have all the dishes laid out, then when everybody is seated people get what they like, added to their bowl of rice. About the never-leaving-home-hungry, I wouldn't go so far as to call it BS. Many people do that.

But I mostly agree with you. Some of the examples you showed ARE random.

69.141.165.175 21:45, 28 August 2007 (UTC)Wikiwikiwakoo

[edit] subtle vandalism

this page seems to be subject to a lot of subtle vandalism - e.g. removing / adding the word "not" to the listed rule in order to reverse their meanings etc. hopefully someone can put this right.