Quotes About Etiquette

She would only make me take my seat if I didn't act calm and Swiss about it all.

person says to you, "How do you do?" he will be taken aback if you reply, with impeccable logic, "How do I do what?" The complexities of the English language are

No doubt the reason hopefully is not allowed is that somebody at The New York Times once had a boss who wouldn't allow it because his professor had forbidden it, because his father thought it was ugly and inelegant, because he had been told so by his uncle who was a man of great learning . . . ?and so on.

Where the British will say howjado for "how do you do," an American will say jeetjet for "have you taken sustenance recently?" and lesskweet for "in that case, let us retire to a convivial place for a spot of refreshment.

No doubt the reason hopefully is not allowed is that somebody at The New York Times once had a boss who wouldn't allow it because his professor had forbidden it, because his father thought it was ugly and inelegant, because he had been told so by his uncle who was a man of great learning . . . ?and so on.

If one's husband had been married before and widowed—a fairly common condition—and a close relative of his first wife's died, the second wife was expected to engage in "complementary mourning"—a kind of proxy mourning on behalf of the deceased earlier partner.

Nobody ever says, Can I have your beets?

I'm only civil because I don't know any swear words.

The Code of the West Say what you want about me, but leave the horse I rode in on out of it.

I pray you, be seated and sup how you please. You will I trust, excuse me that I do not join you, but I have dined already, and I do not sup.

You English have a saying which is close to my heart, for its spirit is that which rules our boyars: Welcome the coming, speed the parting guest.

He may not enter anywhere at the first, unless there be some one of the household who bid him to come, though afterwards he can come as he please.

I suppose a magician might," he admitted, "but a gentleman never could.

It might well appear to Sir Walter that there had been no quarrel. It was often the case that gentlemen did not observe the signs.

Don't say 'Horse shite,' Amelia-Rose whispered, drawing even with him. What should I call it, then, digested equine grass lumps?

Yes, it is." Bennett blew out his breath. "You can't expect me to…sit in the morning room and chat about the weather with her mother, and hold her yarn while she knits, and…wait five weeks before I attempt to hold her hand.

She supposed a properly bred London lady would be expected to faint in shock at the sight of a shirtless gentleman, but he looked far too delicious for her to close her eyes.

I am James Burlough, the Earl of Deerhurst.' The earl's pleasant smile capsized into not-quite-polite puzzlement. 'And who might you be, sir?

What did I do now?' It was getting to the point where she didn't know any longer, but she was certain it couldn't be proper. 'Don't waste sugar,' she improvised. 'I'm not wasting it; I'm drinking it,' May countered.

Instead, Hester had been presented at court

The first time I saw a fingerbowl was at the home of my benefactress. [...] The water had a few cherry blossoms in it, and I thought it must be some clear sort of Japanese after-dinner soup and ate every bit of it, including the crisp little blossoms.

Mrs Guinea answered my letter and invited me to lunch at her home. That was where I saw my first finger-bowl. The water had a few cherry blossoms floating in it, and I thought it must be some clear sort of Japanese after-dinner soup and ate every bit of it, including the crisp little blossoms. Mrs Guinea never said anything, and it was only much later, when I told a debutant I knew at college about dinner, that I learned what I had done.

I'd discovered, after a lot of extreme apprehension about what spoons to use, that if you do something incorrect at table with a certain arrogance, as if you knew perfectly well you were doing it properly, you can get away with it and nobody will think you are bad-mannered or poorly brought up. They will think you are original and very witty.

Si uno hace algo incorrecto en la mesa con cierta arrogancia, como si supiera perfectamente que está haciendo lo que corresponde, puede salir del paso y nadie pensará que es grosero o que ha recibido una pobre educación. Pensarán que uno es original y muy ocurrente.