Quotes About Manners

If these are indeed the spirits of Englishmen and Englishwomen who have passed over into the next world, surely they would know how to form a proper queue?

Britain: the land of embarrassment and breakfast.

Yo no estaba capacitado para saber cómo comportarme socialmente en la mesa de un hombre de cuya mujer estaba enamorado.

I was determined to be polite, unoffendable, persistent, boring, friendly: in other words, to lie.

But people don't on the whole fart raucously in Mozart [concerts]. So I suppose a few vestiges of the thin crust of civilization which prevents our descent into utter barbarism are just about holding. ~Vigilance, by Julian Barnes

In James's comparatively simple set of values, a little toadying seldom went amiss.

Sybil, vulgarity is no substitute for wit.

Karen, who played Jane, was only seven years old, but was calm and sweet, and had perfect manners. Her father, Roy Dotrice, was a well-known English actor, so Karen had been schooled in performance etiquette.

You wouldn't consider riding me, would you?' he asked politely. 'You've lovely manners, she purred. 'But of course.

I should be honored if you would dance with me, Lady Derring," Mr. Farraday said, because he possessed excellent manners and because Delilah was smiling sweetly at him and he was as putty in her hands. But then, in the hands of the right woman, Mr. Farraday was the sort who would be putty for the rest of his days.

Sorry . . . thank you. Good night," she said finally. She pivoted and headed for the house. He stared blankly. Thank you, good night? Like she was Lynyrd Skynyrd, and he was a San Francisco crowd?

it was understood that the word "Redmond" would be treated in their house rather as though someone had silently broken wind in company. Its occurrence was distasteful but occasionally unavoidable, and while it could be politely ignored, it was certainly not encouraged or enjoyed.

As much as I would enjoy inspecting your... rosette more closely, Miss Makepeace--- and the smile spread, becoming that intimating, preternaturally confident smile of the night before, ---I'll forego that pleasure for the moment.

Appearances and manners often cloak a black soul.

People to watch out for: aggressive lappers, determined thrashers, oblivious backstrokers, stealthy sub-mariners, middle aged men who insist on speeding up the moment they sense they are about to be overtaken by a woman, tailgaters, lane nazi's, arm flailers, ankle yankers, pickup artists - we're not that kind of a pool - the peeper, a highly regarded children's TV host in his life above ground, who is best known below ground for his swift lane change.

A fine man, observed my sister, pouring mead for the two of us. Well trained.

Jack,would you mind giving us some privacy? Jack looked Dougal up and down. Are you going to berate him? No. Chastise him? No. Kick him out of the house? No. Then I don't mind leaving. Jack turned a bland gaze to Dougal. Be careful of listening at keyholes, old man. Some of these locks are rather rusty; you could cut yourself.

Pray don't hold back," Robert said politely. "You can tell me what you really think of my valet." Stewart broke in to a reluctant grin."Sorry fer bein' so forward, sir, but that valet o' yers is nothin' but a Frenchified piece o' lace.

One should never ask a man questions about his personal life. He just might answer and then you, my dear, would have to listen.

When you think of two things to say, pick your favorite and only say that, my mother suggested once, as a tip to polite social behavior, and the rule was later modified to one in three.

You will treat me with respect. He didn't say anything for a moment. What does that mean? he finally asked. She looked over at him. Do I need to explain that, your lordship? I would think an earl of your reputed stature would know the meaning of respect.

He always took lateness as being rude. It said to the other person that their time was more valuable than yours.

Never share a bathroom with a man.

As I expected, Paul immediately apologized for not asking me whether or not he could date Claire. He is nothing if not a good mimic of appropriate behaviors. Had we been in person rather than on the telephone, I am certain he would've dropped to bended knee as he asked for my permission. But he wasn't, so it was his voice that conveyed the respect and feeling. Conveyed.