ETIQUETTE expert William Hanson on the dos and don’ts of table manners as scientists say kids SHOULD eat with their mouth open as it makes food taste better.
Claire Dunwell reports.
Scientists have claimed kids should eat with their mouth open[/caption]
Etiquette expert William Hanson looks at the dos and don’ts of table manners[/caption]
Close your mouth
Revealing what’s swishing around in your mouth like a cement mixer isn’t going to catch on[/caption]
I AM sure the scientists are right from a scientific point of view that food tastes better if the mouth is open.
In Asian dining, they often slurp noodles in order to bring in oxygen, which heightens flavour.
But in the West, revealing what’s swishing around in your mouth like a cement mixer isn’t going to catch on – or I seriously hope it doesn’t.
The process of eating is unpleasant enough, so to see it in someone else’s mouth is vile.
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If asked a question while you’re chewing, don’t feel pressured to reply instantly.
Hold a hand in front of your mouth to indicate you’ll reply in a moment or two.
Don’t try to squirrel the food into the corner of your mouth and talk. This never ends well.
Food is tasty enough as it is so we don’t have to modify how we eat, whatever the scientists might say.
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They are scientists, not etiquette experts.
Forget loo breaks
You should certainly never leave the table while there is food on it[/caption]
FROM the moment you sit down at the table to eat, you stay there until the meal is completely over.
In a restaurant, the only socially acceptable time to leave the table to use the lavatory is during the gap after you have ordered pudding.
You should certainly never leave the table while there is food on it, whether it’s yours or someone else’s.
If you are eating at home, use the loo before the meal so there’s no reason to get up and leave halfway through.
If it is absolutely necessary to get up mid- meal, apologise quietly when you stand up and ask to be excused, remembering to apologise again when you sit back down.
Ban phones at the table
YOUR phone is one of the filthiest things you own, because of how often you touch it.
To then put it on the table where you are eating is disgusting.
If you have big issues going on in your social or professional life that require your full attention, it’s better to postpone the lunch.
Inviting someone for a meal and then spending more time checking your phone than talking to them is bad manners and a good way to breed resentment in your guest.
No elbows on the table
If you have children, lead by example[/caption]
“ALL joints on the table will be carved,” as members of the apparently more blood-thirsty older generations used to tell their children.
Although table manners have changed, and have greatly relaxed in recent times, the elbows on the table rule still stands.
It looks ugly and makes eating next to impossible.
And, if you have children, lead by example.
Instilling good table manners in kids as early as one or two years of age lays foundations which can be finessed as they grow older.
Rest your arms in your lap when you are not using them to eat.
No eating while walking
IF your life is so time-poor you can’t take five minutes to sit down and eat, then you must sort it out.
Trying to eat while walking should be an offence, and I’m sure doctors or scientists will say that food isn’t digested properly unless you’re seated.
Discarded food and crumbs go on to streets and pavements, which encourages vermin – it’s a vile habit so please stop immediately.
A mint is perhaps the only food that’s acceptable to eat on the run.
Anything more than that requires a table with a knife, fork and napkin.
Use a knife
Never try to use a fork to cut tougher foods[/caption]
THERE are some foods where it is agreeable to eat with just a fork – pasta, risotto, tarts and tortes.
But for meat and most fish, a knife is used simultaneously with a fork to aid graceful dining.
Never try to use a fork to cut tougher foods. You don’t want your plate looking like a crime scene.
Most foods need to be cut up, and unless you are Edward Scissorhands it’s difficult to pick them up with just a fork and eat properly.
Don’t pick teeth
YOU can use your tongue to dislodge the odd thing as long as you keep your mouth shut and avert eye contact from other people around the table.
Excavating your cavities in company at the dinner table is yet another way to show you don’t care for your company.
It’s better manners to grab a toothpick and, once the meal is over, use it in the toilet or bathroom, away from other people.
Finger lickin’ good
FINGER licking is OK sometimes.
Eating fast food chicken with your fingers and licking them afterwards, at home with the curtains shut, is absolutely fine.
But doing it while sitting in a nice restaurant with friends and family is wrong.
Pizzas are designed to be eaten with the hands, so that’s OK, unless you’ve got an egg on there or you’ve gone OTT on the toppings.
Using the right hand to scoop up a curry with a chapati or roti is the authentic way to eat, so that’s OK too.
You wouldn’t take out a flannel at the dinner table and start washing under your arms so why would you use your tongue to clean your fingers?
It’s a form of vulgar public cleansing that’s never going to be polite in front of others.
Belching is out
Thankfully we have finessed belching out of our table manners list[/caption]
GOING back to early Victorian times, in some households belching was a way for the man to show the female cook he enjoyed the meal.
That was 200 years ago and thankfully we have finessed this out of our table manners list.
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In pretty much every country, burping is considered rude.
If you accidentally burp, don’t make a big issue of it.
Just apologise, then move on.