Quotes About Manners

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.

She had once heard an enthusiastic musician, out of patience with a gifted bungler, declare that a fine voice is really an obstacle to singing properly; and it occurred to her that it might perhaps be equally true that a beautiful face is an obstacle to the acquisition of charming manners.

But if he isn't a gentleman — What is he? He's a horror.

Great statesmen oughtn't to waltz.

In American, the gentlemen obey the ladies.

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. (...)

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.

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 was a quiet kid. I was very introverted, believe it or not. I never spoke above a whisper. I was always, 'Yes sir.' I was raised that way.

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 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.

James Salter is a consummate storyteller. His manners are precise and elegant; he has a splendid New York accent; he runs his hands through his gray hair and laughs boyishly.

What the bride should do is call guests who have young children and say: 'I'd love to have the kids at the wedding, but we won't have room. Would you get a baby sitter, and when we get back from our honeymoon, we'll have you guys over?'

Being nice to everybody, saying hello to everyone in the room, signing every autograph; it was instilled in me at a very young age that this was what I was suppose to do. But I don't think it helps at all. I see more people who are rude or arrogant being rewarded - but, this way, I can put my head on the pillow at night.

I was waiting for a train at Waverley Station in Edinburgh. My knee was hurting, so I asked a young man for his seat. He replied, 'There's one over there'. I said, 'Please', and when he refused I poured my water over him.