7 Table Manners Do's & Don'ts | Good Manners

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Hi, I'm Faye de Muyshondt from Socialskilz here to share with you the do's and don'ts of table manners. Let's start from the beginning. If you happen to have a host or a hostess who is having a dinner or having you for a meal, you want to follow their lead. So, don't sit down until they sit down. Also, don't put your napkin in your lap until they put their napkin in their lap.

Now, if we're just dining out at a restaurant, first thing you want to think about is getting yourself seated and putting your napkin in your lap. That's pretty much the first thing you want to do at any table setting. As you're interacting at the table, make sure that you don't put your elbows on the table. This is kind of a dining taboo. Basically if you have your elbows on the table that means that you're probably leaning over the table which you don't want to do. However you can rest your wrists on the table. So, if you're seated here you can rest you wrists like this.

In terms of salt and pepper, if someone asks you to pass the salt, you should actually pass both the salt and the pepper together. They always move around the table as a pair. Have you ever sat down at a table and had a number of utensils in front of you and you're really nervous about which one you should use for which course? It's actually really simple. You start from the outside utensils and you move inward. So, the first thing that comes to you should be used with the outermost utensil. Let's say this was a salad. We're obviously going to be using this fork rather than this spoon. If this was a soup, we'd be using the spoon first.

While you're at the table you might want to take a break from eating. So what you're going to want to do with your utensils is put them in what we call the resting position. So, you would take your utensils and put them like this. If the plate were a clock, this would actually be approximately on the eight. This knife would be approximately at the four. When you're finished with your meal, your utensils go in the finished position. This is where both utensils are approximately on a four if this were a clock. You want to be sure that the handles of your utensils are actually hanging off the back of your plate. This is just so that a server actually doesn't have to pick your utensils up off of a dirty plate.

If you need to leave the table during the meal, you put your napkin on the chair. In a formal restaurant they're probably going to come by, re-fold your napkin, and put it back to the left of your plate. And when you're finished with your meal, you're going to want to put your napkin back to the left hand side of your plate. It doesn't belong on your plate. You don't want to get a cloth napkin dirty with food. It belongs right back where it started. Those are just a few of the do's and don'ts of table manners.

[NeonPegasus]

I hate the idea of putting my napkin in my lap. For one, it makes eating awkward, because I am distracted with making sure my napkin doesn't fall onto the floor, and also, it's kinda gross having what I wipe my face with on my lap. Also, if someone is up at the table properly and not sitting a bit away or slouching, they won't spill anything on their lap to begin with.

[Atma]

I really hope the teacher never has to read these comments, you people are awful...
I was happy to learn about this, thanks Howcast!

[bethgeorge]

thank you so much this will really help in my special needs class!!!!

[RowmanSailor]

Really cool! Now, what if you travel abroad to somewhere like East Asia, Africa, or elsewhere?

[sagaciousid]

The knife should've been facing inwards in the resting position, not outwards.

[Darkfiregaming]

jump up on the table and throw KFC everywhere and shout: "THATS WHAT SHE SAID"

[mrhufflepuff]

If someone asks me to pass the salt they will get the salt and the salt only! as that is what they asked for, the salt and pepper go in a pair rule makes no sense!

[manojiji]

i do not speak english good but this is nice and good thanks

[davestephens]

The comments on this video are almost as bad as the haribo gummy bear review section of Amazon

[annimuz]

The most important rule of all: don't take a shit on the table.

[nathanregular]

Have you ever




No.

Bu..

No.

[GoldenSableye]

Life is the longest thing you'll ever do
the fact that it's "short" is no reason to be reckless.

[desertmama]

Heres a 'i dont give a fuck' medal, happy?

[cookehmonstaa]

This is acc bs just put ur utensils down anywhere it dont matter ffs

[tonybebawy]

Putting your napkin on your lap right when you sit is not a sign of manners because it shows how eager you are to eat and not actually your enjoyment of the time and the meal.Thats why howcast shouldn't be your number one spot for tips.