HOW TO BE ALADY (8)

A LADY GOES TO DINNER

After a lady has been seated, her first action is always to place her dinner napkin in her lap. She does not wait for the server to do so. If she briefly leaves the table during dinner, she leaves the napkin, loosely folded, in the chair. A lady never places her napkin back on the table until she is finished with her meal and about to leave.

If the table has been set correctly, a lady has no problem knowing which fork, spoon, or knife to pick first. When she sits down at the table, she will find her flatware and her cutlery set out in the order in which she will need it. When the first course arrives, she uses the fork that is farthest away from he plate. When she is finished with that course, she leaves her fork on her plate, and it is taken away. She proceeds in the same manner throughout the meal so that by the time dessert arrives, she will have only one fork, spoon, or knife left. If by chance the flatware has been arranged in the wrong order, a lady still follows this logical system. In such cases, the person setting the table has caused the confusion.

A lady does not talk with her mouth full. A lady knows to start with the fork on the outside. If the salad fork is in the wrong place, she does not make a scene. When she finishes eating, she places her knife and fork on her plate.

She does not salt her food before tasting it. She would never insult the cook that way.

When faced with a plate of long pasta – such as spaghetti, linguine, etc, a lady resists every temptation to hop it up with her knife and fork. Instead, she twirls a manageable mouthful around the tines of her fork and, with the help of a spoon, transfers it to her mouth.

A lady does not engage in a debate over politics or religion or other sensitive issues at the dinner table. A lady does not crunch her ice and she knows when it is acceptable to drink through a straw.

A lady usually says ‘Thank-you’ to her host after a dinner.

Thank you for reading this article. You can share your comment(s) and or personal experience in the comment box below.

For more tips on dining, visit: elegantwoman.org