Table-manners餐桌礼仪

TableMannersThespiritofcourteousconductatawesterndinnertableWhatisa‘tablemanner’?Tablemannersareaboutacertainsectionofetiquette.Thistopicincludesanddescribeseverythingofetiquettethatisrelatedtotheproper,polite,courteousconductatadinnertableinagivenculturalenvironment.Inthisdocumentwewilltalkabouttablemannersbythewesternculture.Whatisetiquette?Etiquetteisthestandardofcourteousconductinsocietyandamongindividualsfromagrouporprofession.Ahistoryofetiquette?EtiquetteisaFrenchwordmeaning‘label’or‘ticket’.InFrance,‘étiquette’begantobeusedtodescribeappropriateconduct.Finally,bythe18thcentury,thosewhospokeEnglishembracedtheworditselfbytheFrenchmeaning.Ahistoryofetiquette?Sinceforever,etiquetteorthenormofproperconductisformedbyacertainsocietywithinacertainculturalenvironment.ConsequencesofhavingetiquetteDuringhistory,peoplewhowereabletobehaveaccordinglyandfollowtherules,couldbeapartofaselectedcompanywithintheirsociety.Thesepeoplecamenormallyfromaristocratic,noblecircles.ConsequencesofhavingetiquettePeoplewhocouldn’tfollowtherulesofetiquettecameusuallyfrompoorerclasses.Nobodytaughtthemhowtobehaveincertainsituations,northeyneededthisknowledgereally;forexampletheywerenotinvitedtoparticipateinnobleevents.Thereforeintheircourseoflifethesetypeofknowledgewasn’timportantatall.EtiquetteinthemodernworldAlthoughwedon’tliveinthefeudalismanymore,thenormsofnobleconductisinheritedeventoourdays.Alletiquettesaregenerallyacknowledgedassomethinghumanlyvaluable.Followingtheetiquetteisstillveryimportanttopeopleinaristocraticoralsoinbusinesscirclestokeeptheirstatusquo.Otherwise,bytheirinproperbehavior,theywouldbeostracizedfromthegivencommunity.EtiquetteinthemodernworldFollowingthenormsofetiquettesofagivensocietycanbeimportantforall,whowantstoconductherselforhimselfcourteously,becauseeleganceandnoblebehaviorissimplypartsoftheirhumanvalues.Sowhydoweneedtolearnetiquette?Sincemostpeopleinaristocraticcirclesknowandacceptetiquette,itisourinteresttobeabletoadjusttothenorm.Ifwecan’tbehaveinaccordancetothecertainevent,wecloseourselvesoutfromthegivencommunity,andmaybeourpersonalorbuisnessgoalscan’tberealized.Inworstcasewemakeourselvesridiculousbydoingsomethingveryinpoliteinacertainsituation.Andwhydoweneedatableetiquette?Theknowledgeofhowtobehaveproperly,corteouslyatadiningtableinacertainculturalenvironmentgivesusself-confidence,becausewealreadyknow,howtoconductourselvesinawell-situatedcompany.FormaltablesettingInanelegantformalevent,adiningtableisfullofseveralutensils.Foraself-confidentparticipationinthedinner,weneedtolearnthepurposeofeachutensil.InformaltablesettingsThereareeventswherecourteousconductisalsoarequirement,howevertheoccasionislessformal.Ontheinformaldinnertablewefindlessutensils,butofcourse,knowingthepurposeofthoseisalsoamust.SeatingetiquetteBeingconfidentofwheretositwheneverythingissetandit’stimefordinnerissomeofthebasicsoftablemanners.Itisveryinpolite,ifwehaveaseatonachairwhichisdesignatedtoanotherparticipantofthedinner.Especiallyifwearetalkingaboutahostoraspecialguest.NapkinetiquettesNapkinetiquetteIndiningetiquettethereareseveralruleshowtohandlethenapkinfromthebeginningofthemealtotheendofit.NapkinetiquettePlacingthenapkininyourlapPlacethenapkininyourlapimmediatelyuponseating.Ifthereisahostorhostess,waitforhimorhertotaketheirnapkinoffthetableandplaceitinhisorherlap.NapkinetiquetteUnfoldingthenapkinUnfoldyournapkininonesmoothmotionwithout‘snapping’or‘shaking’itopen.Thesizedetermineshowyouunfoldanapkininyourlap.Largenapkinsareunfoldedhalfway.Smallernapkinsareunfoldedcompletelyandcoverthelapfully.NapkinetiquetteDon'ttuckthenapkinDon'ttuckanapkinintoyourcollar,betweenthebuttonsofyourshirt,orinyourbelt.NapkinetiquetteUsingthenapkinUseyournapkinfrequentlyduringthemealtoblotorpat,notwipeyourlips.Blotyourlipsbeforetakingadrinkofyourbeverage.NapkinetiquetteNapkinringsIfanapkinringispresent,afterremovingyournapkin,placetheringtothetop-leftofthesetting.Attheendofthemeal,graspthenapkininthecenter,pullitthroughthering,andlayitonthetablewiththepointfacingthecenterofthetable.NapkinetiquetteTemporarilyleavingthetableWhenleavingthetabletemporarily,putyournapkinonyourchair.Ifthechairisupholstered,placethenapkinsoiledsideup.NapkinetiquettePlacingthenapkinattheendofthemealThenapkinislooselyfoldedattheendofthemeal.Ifaplateisinthecenterofyourplacesetting,whenleavingthetablelaythenapkintotheleftoftheplate.Ifthecenterofyourplacesettingisempty,thenapkinislaidinthemiddleoftheplacesetting.Leaveyournapkininloosefoldsthatkeepsoiledpartshidden.HandlingutensilsTherearenumerouswayswecanuseaforkoraknife,butbytableetiquette,notallofthemarecorrect.Inthisdocumentweareintroducingtheso-called‘Continentalstyle’,becausethisisthemostcommonutensil-handlingstyleinthewesternworld.HandlingutensilsHoldyourknifeinyourrighthand,aninchortwoabovetheplate.Useyourforktospearandliftfoodtoyourmouth.HandlingutensilsThe‘outside-in’ruleInmostsituations,followingthe‘outside-in’rulewilltelluswhichknife,fork,orspoontouseatthedinnertable.Bythisrule,useutensilsontheoutsidefirstandworkyourwayinwardwitheachnewcoursethatisserved.HandlingutensilsEatingsteakDon'tsmothersteakwithsteaksauce,especiallywhendininginagoodrestaurant.Ifyouuseasauce,pourasmallpoolnexttothesteakanddipeachforkfulofmeatbeforeeating.HandlingutensilsEatinggrilledmeatsAtaninformalbarbecue,hamburgers,hotdogs,ribs,andpiecesofchickenaremostenjoyedwheneatenwiththefingers.However,certainkindsofmeatarenevereatenwithourfingers.Sausageswithoutbunsareeatenwithaknifeandfork,asarefish,andsteak.HandlingutensilsThewayyouleaveyourutensilsonyourplatecansendseveralmessagestotheserver.Sendingtherightmessagesbyyoursilverwareisnotonlylogic,butofcourse,partoftheetiquette.BeveragesetiquetteOurbeveragesetiquetteordrinkingetiquettetellsushowtodrinkcourteouslyatawesterndiningtable.BeveragesetiquetteAswesawinthe‘Tablesettings’chapter,ataformalwesterntablewemeetseveralglasses.Toavoidconfusion,let’sgetfamiliarwiththeirshapeandpurpose.BeveragesetiquetteThreebasicrulesTakeadrinkonlywhenyouhavenofoodinyourmouth.Sipinsteadofgulping.Ifyou'reawoman,don'twearsomuchlipstickthatyourdrinkingglasswillbecomesmudged.BeveragesetiquetteDrinkingwaterandiceAvoidtheurgetogulpwateratthetable,nomatterhowthirstyyouare.Whendrinkingabeveragethatcontainsicecubesorcrushedice,don'tcrunchtheiceinyourmouth.BeveragesetiquetteDrinkingcoffeeandteaDon'tleaveyourspooninthecoffeecuporteacupormug;placeitonthesauceroraplate.Don'ttakeicefromyourwatertocoolahotdrink.Don'tdunkdoughnuts,biscotti,oranythingelseinyourcoffeeunlessyou'reatanultracasualplacewheredunkingisthenorm.BeveragesetiquetteAfresh-brewedlooseleafteatastesbest.Asecondpotofhotwaterisusedtodiluteoversteepedteaandispoureddirectlyintothecup.Infusingteabags,puttwoorthreebagsinapotofhotwaterandpourtheteawhenithassteeped.BeveragesetiquetteWhattodowithemptypacketsofsugarandindividualcontainersofcream?Crumplethemandplacethemontheedgeofyoursaucerorbutterplate.WinetastingetiquetteOnceitispouredintotheproperglass,it’stimetoevaluateandenjoythewine.Knowinghowtotastewinebytheetiquette,testifiesweareproficientinwesternculture.Evaluatingwineinvolvesfourbasicsteps–looking,swirling,smelling,andtasting.ToastingetiquetteItisgreatifwehavesomethingtosaythatcankindlytouchalltheparticipantsoftheevent.However,ifwedoitdifferentwaystheetiquettedescribesitshouldbedone,wecanembarrassourselves,andalso,wewon’tgetthedesiredimpression,divertingtheattentionbyourinproperconduct.ToastingetiquetteTheproperwayoftoastingcanbesummarizedinsixpoints.Makesureallglassesarefilledbeforetoasting.Theglassesdon’thavetoholdalcohol;non-dinkersmaytoastwithwater,juice,orasoftdrink.ToastingetiquetteGetthecrowd’sattentionbystandingandraisingyourglass,notbybangingonyourglass.Traditionally,thefirsttoastisofferedbythehostasawelcometoguests.ToastingetiquetteWhentoasted,the‘toastee’doesnotstand,nordoesshe/hedrinktoherself/himself.Makesureyoukeepyourtoastshortandonpoint.ThankyouallforparticipatinginCYEA’s‘TableManners’activity!