Get table etiquette right
Dec 22, 2005
There are those bad habits that often caused our mothers to pinch us while we were at the dining table; or, better still, give us a sound smacking.
By Titus Serunjonji
There are those bad habits that often caused our mothers to pinch us while we were at the dining table; or, better still, give us a sound smacking.
So, it is of little wonder that many people tend to believe that good table manners is just sheer common sense. But dining with several people has often proved this assumption wrong. What is wrong with people slurping at their soup or talking with their mouths full of half-chewed food? How disgusting! And how about that person who gets so excited during the meal that he begins waving his knife and fork in the air?
But with Christmas nearing, it is high time everyone revised his table manners.
You may be lunching with everyone who means anything to you — your mum, dad, grandmother and senga, the muko and sometimes your sweetheart. You wouldn’t want to be embarrassed.
First, sit up straight at the dining table, neither slouching nor leaning forward in the seat. You don’t even need to put your elbows on the table as they take up space. Don’t put crap on the table.
When to begin eating: Many modern families insist that food should be eaten as soon as it is brought to the table; while it is still hot. But steady there. The rule in some traditionalist families is that none should eat before dad, mum or the eldest woman at the table. If you are lunching with another family and are not sure what to do, wait and see what your host does. and follow suit.
Eat at a leisurely pace. Show your host that you want to enjoy the food and the company. Eating quickly and running can be a sign of disrespect. Why go on jittering with the knife and fork? Just pick up that thigh of chicken high with your fingers and a napkin and go ahead to enjoy it. No one will look at you in shock.
You need the soupspoon. It is bad manners to lift up the plate and sip the soup. You will only end up making sounds that can easily be mistaken for snoring. It is also bad manners to engulf the soupspoon into your mouth. Soup should be sipped quietly from the edge of the spoon. Chew with your mouth shut. Slurping (or making noises while eating) is not only disgusting to the rest of the people at the table, but it will also disrupt the flow of conversation among you all. Don’t speak with your mouth full of food. Sure, you have heard your mother say it a hundred times, but no one likes to see a ball of masticated meat in your mouth.
If you feel you must speak, tuck the half-chewed food immediately in your cheek. Keep bites small, just a forkful. Otherwise, you may soon have the macaroni hanging out of your mouth and you will be fidgeting to pull the coils back to your month.
Fortunately, table etiquette dictates that your neighbours assume a ‘we are not looking’ demeanour. But there are some habits that can send people quarrelling, even exchanging blows at the dining table.
If it is a child, the mother will drag him off the table and give him a sound smacking on the buttocks. You would not want to see sweet junior crying on Christmas.
It is such a disgusting nincompoop who coughs and sneezes anyhow at the dining table. Keep your holiday germs to yourself!
Cap your mouth and turn aside if you must.
The gentleman or lady of manners will excuse him or herself from the dining table first. There are many other nasty things that a person may do and you may never wish to sit at the same table with them.
Farting, picking the nose, belching, scratching the head...And you don’t need to stretch your hand across the table just to pick the tomato sauce or the salt-sprinkler.
This is as impolite as standing in front of a TV with other people behind you. And there is always the possibility of running your sleeve through someone else’s soup.
Excuse yourself when leaving the table. You don’t want people to think that you are tired of their company. If you must leave the table, make your excuses somewhat obvious.
Leave the diners with the impression that you would rather remain at the table talking with them than doing anything else; but that the matter at hand is so pressing, it must be attended to at once.
It is pleasant to end a meal on a positive note. So compliment the cook. Even if the food is awful, say something nice.
There are those bad habits that often caused our mothers to pinch us while we were at the dining table; or, better still, give us a sound smacking.
So, it is of little wonder that many people tend to believe that good table manners is just sheer common sense. But dining with several people has often proved this assumption wrong. What is wrong with people slurping at their soup or talking with their mouths full of half-chewed food? How disgusting! And how about that person who gets so excited during the meal that he begins waving his knife and fork in the air?
But with Christmas nearing, it is high time everyone revised his table manners.
You may be lunching with everyone who means anything to you — your mum, dad, grandmother and senga, the muko and sometimes your sweetheart. You wouldn’t want to be embarrassed.
First, sit up straight at the dining table, neither slouching nor leaning forward in the seat. You don’t even need to put your elbows on the table as they take up space. Don’t put crap on the table.
When to begin eating: Many modern families insist that food should be eaten as soon as it is brought to the table; while it is still hot. But steady there. The rule in some traditionalist families is that none should eat before dad, mum or the eldest woman at the table. If you are lunching with another family and are not sure what to do, wait and see what your host does. and follow suit.
Eat at a leisurely pace. Show your host that you want to enjoy the food and the company. Eating quickly and running can be a sign of disrespect. Why go on jittering with the knife and fork? Just pick up that thigh of chicken high with your fingers and a napkin and go ahead to enjoy it. No one will look at you in shock.
You need the soupspoon. It is bad manners to lift up the plate and sip the soup. You will only end up making sounds that can easily be mistaken for snoring. It is also bad manners to engulf the soupspoon into your mouth. Soup should be sipped quietly from the edge of the spoon. Chew with your mouth shut. Slurping (or making noises while eating) is not only disgusting to the rest of the people at the table, but it will also disrupt the flow of conversation among you all. Don’t speak with your mouth full of food. Sure, you have heard your mother say it a hundred times, but no one likes to see a ball of masticated meat in your mouth.
If you feel you must speak, tuck the half-chewed food immediately in your cheek. Keep bites small, just a forkful. Otherwise, you may soon have the macaroni hanging out of your mouth and you will be fidgeting to pull the coils back to your month.
Fortunately, table etiquette dictates that your neighbours assume a ‘we are not looking’ demeanour. But there are some habits that can send people quarrelling, even exchanging blows at the dining table.
If it is a child, the mother will drag him off the table and give him a sound smacking on the buttocks. You would not want to see sweet junior crying on Christmas.
It is such a disgusting nincompoop who coughs and sneezes anyhow at the dining table. Keep your holiday germs to yourself!
Cap your mouth and turn aside if you must.
The gentleman or lady of manners will excuse him or herself from the dining table first. There are many other nasty things that a person may do and you may never wish to sit at the same table with them.
Farting, picking the nose, belching, scratching the head...And you don’t need to stretch your hand across the table just to pick the tomato sauce or the salt-sprinkler.
This is as impolite as standing in front of a TV with other people behind you. And there is always the possibility of running your sleeve through someone else’s soup.
Excuse yourself when leaving the table. You don’t want people to think that you are tired of their company. If you must leave the table, make your excuses somewhat obvious.
Leave the diners with the impression that you would rather remain at the table talking with them than doing anything else; but that the matter at hand is so pressing, it must be attended to at once.
It is pleasant to end a meal on a positive note. So compliment the cook. Even if the food is awful, say something nice.