Quotes About Etiquette

Don't make jokes about food.

Telling someone in France that they did something that was not correct is an affront to their honor, almost as severe as being told they're mal élevé, or "badly raised.

I attended a dinner party where the hostess kept the bottle of water sequestered under the table, guarded by her feet during the entire meal. Midway through dinner, completely dessicated, I could hold out no longer and summoned up the last bit of moisture in my mouth to form the words to ask for a sip. With some reluctance, she reached down to extract the bottle and poured a tiny trickle into my glass. Right after my ration was doled out, she screwed the top back on and stowed away the bottle.

never lop off the pointy nez, the "nose," of the cheese. This is considered terribly rude and arrogant.

saying "Bonjour, madame" when walking into the boulangerie to pick up your baguette, or beginning a request with "Excusez-moi de vous déranger"—"I'm sorry to bother you"—leading off with an apology, letting a salesclerk or receptionist know that you recognize their importance

I fear one day I'll meet God, he'll sneeze and I won't know what to say.

It would be nice if people said, God bless you not just when you sneezed but also when you farted.

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain unless you've used up all the other four-letter words.

To the guests that must go, bid God's speed and brush away all traces of their steps.

I say God bless you... I don't say bless you... I'm not the Lord. I can't do that...

You are not obliged to put on evening clothes to meet God.

My God, look at the words people use today. They use profanity like it's nothing. Christ almighty.

What is it about a baby bump that makes people feel it's okay to say things like, 'God! You are big!'

God," I moaned. "Do they use that stuff as rocket fuel?" "No one made you keep drinking it." "Hey, don't get preachy. Besides, I had to be polite." "Sure," she said.

Now I don't have anything against Mexican people, but for God's sakes, sign the gust book on the way in.

I have absolutely no difficulty myself with the playing of God Save the Queen in the presence of Her Majesty.

Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot.

Manners is the key thing. Say, for instance, when you're growing up, you're walking down the street, you've got to tell everybody good morning. Everybody. You can't pass one person.

Good manners without sincerity are like a beautiful dead lady.

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

The test of good manners is to be patient with the bad ones.

A good upbringing means not that you won't spill sauce on the tablecloth, but that you won't notice it when someone else does.

Good manners make any man a pleasure to be with. Ask any woman.

Good manners have much to do with the emotions. To make them ring true, one must feel them, not merely exhibit them.