Quotes About Etiquette

An Englishman's never so natural as when he's holding his tongue.

She's too personal—considering that she expects other people not to be. She walks in without knocking at the door." "Yes," Isabel admitted, "she doesn't sufficiently recognize the existence of knockers; and indeed I'm not sure that she doesn't think them rather a pretentious ornament. She thinks one's door should stand ajar.

Great statesmen oughtn't to waltz.

In American, the gentlemen obey the ladies.

Well, said Winterbourne, when you deal with natives you must go by the custom of the place. Flirting is a purely American custom; it doesn't exist here. So when you show yourself in public with Mr. Giovanelli, and without your mother— Gracious!

I'm perfectly aware, for instance, that you know good society from bad. Society is all bad.

the Countess often asked more from one's attention than she gave in return

This impression came out most for Maggie when, in their easier intervals, they had only themselves to regard, and when her companion's inveteracy of never passing first, of not sitting till she was seated, of not interrupting till she appeared to give leave, of not forgetting too familiarly that in addition to being important she was also sensitive, had the effect of throwing over their intercourse a kind of silver tissue of decorum. It

It simply appeared to him proper and reasonable that a well-bred young woman should not carry half her fortune on her back. (...)

In Paris such debts are tacit.

You Americans have such odd ways! the Baroness declared. You never ask anything outright; there seem to be so many things you can't talk about. ................. We don't like to tread upon people's toes (Chapter 6)

You see, I believe greatly in the influence of women. Living with women helps to make a man a gentleman. (Chapter 7)

As the boy looked at it, my thing moved and he whispered It is splendid! Do let me try its love-making ... And I was too polite to disobey.

I never yell or scream. I mean, definitely not at work. I never yell at anyone I work with.

If you've ever played golf, you know that you yell 'fore' off the tee. You're not threatening somebody; you're warning them: 'Look, don't get hit by the ball, it's coming.'

In school, we learn that we don't yell out, we wait. You raise your hand and wait for your chance.

Golf, tennis, I think we respect one another and the crowd. If you see golf tournaments, as well, on the side, no one's yelling, no one's talking. There's a lot of quiet there before someone is hitting the swing or stroke. So is tennis. It's a very respectful sport.

If someone comes up to me and asks me for a photo, if they do it politely, I'm always going to say yes.

I went to a military school, so I'm always talking like 'Yes, sir,' or 'No, ma'am.' I was doing that even before military school, so I've always had it, I guess.

My women students openly admit that they dress for interviews like dates, hoping to look their best: makeup, high heels, a well-fitting suit that shows off their figure. And I always tell them to make sure to wear a shirt under the suit jacket. Form fitting, yes. Cleavage, no.

My parents were from New England. It's very funny, but when I grew up, you always had to say, 'Yes, ma'am' and 'Yes, sir.'

I don't mind if somebody comes up to me and shakes my hand, but if I'm in the middle of a restaurant and somebody asks me for a picture, I can be a jerk and say no, or I can say yes and draw more attention to myself, which is exactly the opposite of what I want.

When I talked to him on the phone yesterday. I called him George rather than Mr. Vice President. But, in public, it's Mr. Vice President, because that is who he is.

Pleasant speech yields joy to all, and observing this, is there any need for unpleasant speech?