Quotes About Etiquette

If she speaks, it will only be a pleasant word or two; should she have anything important to say, the moment will be after tea, not before it; this she knows by instinct.

It's concerning you both; for doesn't it seem odd that Gowing's always coming and Cummings' always going?" 

but that the invitation didn't include eatables and drinkables.  A gentleman who was standing at the bar

Now, look you here, Sekundar," says I, but he came up straight like a little bantam and cut me off. "Sir Alexander. if you please," says he icily, as though I'd never seen him with his breeches down, chasing after some big Afghan bint.

On the Continent people have good food in England people have good table manners.

There are some occasions when you must not refuse a cup of tea, otherwise you are judged an exotic and barbarous bird without any hope of ever being able to take your place in civilised society. If you are invited to an English home, at five o'clock in the morning you get a cup of tea. It is either brought in by a heartily smiling hostess or an almost malevolently silent maid.

In the last century, when a wicked and unworthy subject annoyed the Sultan of Turkey or the Czar of Russia, he had his head cut of without much ceremony; but when the same happened in England, the monarch declared: 'We are not amused'; and the whole British nation even now, a century later, is immensely proud of how rude their Queen was.

But even in Curzon Street society, if you say, for instance, that you are a tough guy they will consider you a vulgar, irritating and objectionable person. Should you declare, however, that you are an inquisitorial and peremptory homo sapiens, they will have no idea what you mean, but they will feel in their bones that you must be something wonderful.

If he stretches out his hand in order to shake yours, you must not accept it. Smile vaguely, and as soon as he gives up the hope of shaking you by the hand, you stretch out your own hand and try to catch his in vain. This game is repeated until the greater part of the afternoon or evening has elapsed. It is extremely likely that this will be the most amusing part of the afternoon or evening, anyway.

I learned long ago that it is considered rude to vomit on your brother

There is entirely too much tut-tutting in this realm, if you ask me.

That's pretty." He remembered Sansa telling him once that he should say that whenever a lady told him her name.

A lady's armor is courtesy

Tyrion was exceedingly courteous; he offered his sister the choice portions of every dish, and made certain he ate only what she did. Not that he truly thought she'd poison him, but it never hurt to be careful.

Grandmother,' Margaery said, 'mind your words, or what will Sansa think of us?' 'She might think we have some wits about us. One of us, at any rate.

Los príncipes nunca llegan tarde. Si otros están antes que ellos, es porque han llegado demasiado pronto.

There is a kind of courtesy in skepticism. It would be an offense against polite conventions to press our doubts too far.

Unfriending me when I didn't even know we were friends? It's like breaking wind when you're home alone. If I can't smell you, knock yourself out.

Indeed, the pun is considered by many to be more distasteful than the common expletive. You might even say the pun is mightier than the s-word.

Civilization depends on, and civility often requires, the willingness to say, "What you are doing is none of my business" and "What I am doing is none of your business.

It was growing late, and though one might stand on the brink of a deep chasm of disaster, one was still obliged to dress for dinner.

His Grace was at her side, and lifted her down from the chair. "My enfant," he said , "duchesses do not dance on chairs, nor do they call their brothers 'imbécile'." Léonie's twinkled irrepressibly. "I do," she said firmly.

Well, I want you all to be polite,' said Mother firmly, adding, 'and you're not to mention owls, Larry. She might think we're peculiar.' 'We are,' concluded Larry with feeling.

The aristocrats on both sides of the Atlantic, whether from new or old wealth, have the manners and the morals of small-town gossips. And