Quotes About Etiquette

Drummond appreciated his guest's initial silence, his respect for the ancient, sacred act of imbibing. Drink first, talk later.

La clarté est la souveraine politesse de qui manie une plume . (Clarity is the sovereign politeness of the one who wields a pen.)

Aha!" I snapped my fingers, not realizing I had spoken aloud until I saw the glare on the face of the elderly passing clergyman. In his day—a very long time ago, that was—women did not go about getting sudden ideas in the Cathedral Close. It wasn't done. He sniffed and turned his back.

People should think twice before making rude remarks," said Mrs. Lambchop. "And then not make them at all.

It's not easy to writing thank-you notes for the stuff you didn't want in the first place.

But maybe she should turn the other way while I get dressed. Wouldn't want to ruin her for other men. - Dean

Now before we get into anything, ladies, no scratching, no spitting and no tattling to mummy.

People sit together, bare their teeth and eat and, even in this critical moment, feel no desire to eat each other. They respect themselves for this, and respect their companions for an abstemiousness equal to their own.

This is one rule about mixing boys and girls: that a date always comes first.

Martha Raye slipped up to the colonel and she said, 'Sir, where do we eat?' He said, 'You mess with the men.' 'I know that,' she said, 'but where do we eat?

I should have said "powder room." That would evoke the image of me sitting before a beautiful gold mirror, a vase of fresh flowers nearby, freshening my makeup, rather than sitting on a toilet.

there must be something she wanted; and that therefore she was no lady.

Both Pierson and Roselie gaped at her very proper response- for here they were making a very improper retreat out of Alack's, down the steps and nearly to the carriage-clogged street outside and Miss Tempest sounded like the finest graduate of a Bath school. I might be cowhanded, my lord, she told him pertly, but I am not rag-mannered. I like her, Roselie told her brother.I don't think you are alone in that regard, Tuck muttered, though no one was paying him much heed.

This matter must never be spoken of again. We WASPs can apply that rule to anything—from a moment of awkwardness at the dinner table to a relative's suicide.

But let me explain my culture of origin to you, Angela, in case you have never been around White Anglo-Saxon Protestants. You need to understand that we have only one central rule of engagement, and here it is: This matter must never be spoken of again. We WASPS can apply this rule to anything -- from a moment of awkwardness at the dinner table to a relative's suicide. Asking no further questions is the song of my people.

Fear had a tendency to drive away the courtesy of civilization.

Rebecca held her head high and swanned across the hallway, but as she neared the footman, she could see quite plainly that his gaze was not where it should be. She stopped dead and slapped her hands over her bosom. Its too low, isn't it? I knew I shouldn't have listened to that maid. She might not mind her boobies hanging out for all to see, but i just can't- Her brain suddenly caught up with her mouth. She removed her hands from her bosom and slapped them over her awful, awful, awful mouth.

What are you looking for?" she asked abruptly. "It's rather rude for a gentleman to enter a lady's room without permission." "I'm not a gentleman." "Really? I thought otherwise.

Really, sometimes it would be much easier if one were allowed to simply hit gentlemen over the head.

It's so tedious," Montgomery sighed, "to have to wait for invitations and, I find, they often don't come when you most want them to. Much easier to simply disregard formal invitations altogether.

He took a deep breath and wished irritably that she would call him by his given name. He longed to hear her say Edward. But no. It would be highly inappropriate for her to call him by his Christian name. He gathered his scattered thoughts. "We should return to work." He stood and strode from the room, feeling as if he were fleeing fire-breathing monsters rather than one plain little widow.

As he brought her back to her waiting parent he lowered his head to hers and said, I'll call on you next week, shall I? The hand on his arm jerked, but she kept her composure. I beg your pardon, Your Grace? I intend to court you, he informed her kindly, and then added to make it perfectly clear, and make you my wife. She swallowed. Oh, no. He smiled. Oh, yes.

There is no creature better at delicate rudeness than a cat...

There are occasions upon which a candid expression of opinion may be not only rude, but counterproductive. L