Quotes About Manners

Dr. MacBride had a manner of saying "pardon me," which rendered forgiveness well-nigh impossible.

He was a good guy, my old man: simple, old-fashioned. Physically, he was built like a feather-weight, and he wore these thick, black Ronnie Barker glasses. He would say to me, 'You might not have a good education, but good manners don't cost you anything.' And he practised what he preached: he'd always give up his seat on the bus for a woman or help an old lady across the road. A good man. I really miss him.

"Sir Jasper Finch-Farrowmere?" said Wilfred."ffinch-ffarrowmere," corrected the visitor, his sensitive ear detecting the capital letters.

Good manners can replace morals. It may be years before anyone knows if what you are doing is right. But if what you are doing is nice, it will be immediately evident.

A hat should be taken off when you greet a lady and left off for the rest of your life. Nothing looks more stupid than a hat.

It was one of those parties where you cough twice before you speak and then decide not to say it after all.

Few things would gratify me as much as a rediscovered respect for things belonging to others. Not abusing the property of others (or that of the community) is one of the ways in which we respect others. It is an essential part of being considerate guests, no matter where we are: in an airplane, in a friend's home, in a movie theater, in a doctor's office, in a public library, or in a public square.

RUDENESS IS THE WEAK MAN'S IMITATION OF STRENGTH. —Eric Hoffer

We must be as courteous to a man as we are to a picture, which we are willing to give the advantage of a good light (p. 41).

Some may say that by being civil to each other we stifled our self-expression. But we can also say that we chose to express one part of ourselves rather than another. Although it may appear that we give up self-expression when we exercise it, in truth restraint can be as much an expression of our Selves as is unfettered behavior. Yes, practicing civility may limit our immediate gratification. That's why we are tempted to be rude (p.24).

yielding our seat on a bus whenever it seems appropriate; alerting the person sitting behind us on a plane when we are about to lower the back of our seat; standing close to the right-side handrail on an escalator; stopping to give directions to someone who is lost; stopping at red lights; disagreeing with poise; yielding with grace when losing an argument, these diverse behaviors are all imbued with the spirit of civility.

we can learn to love. How do we do that? …First things first. First we discipline our ego to look beyond the narrow confines of its immediate needs; then we will have a change to understand what real love is. First manners, then love (pp.19-20).

Hey, I gotta take a piss. Want to come with me? Said no man ever.

French] Parents see it as their job to bring the child around to appreciating this [food]. They believe that just as they must teach a child how to sleep, how to wait, and how to say bonjour , they must teach her how to eat.

OUR MAGIC WORDS are 'please' and 'thank you'. The French have those, plus two more: 'hello' and 'goodbye'. They're especially zealous about making their children say 'bonjour' as soon as they walk into somebody's house. Children don't get to slouch in under the cover of their parents' greeting.

Avoid castigating your child in front of others.

Don't lick the guests, darling. Bad manners.

When we got to the moron who was sitting in the only path to the stairway, Adam caught my waist and lifted me over before stepping over the man himself. "Scott?" Adam said as we headed upstairs. "Yeah?" "Unless someone shoots you, skins you, and throws the results on the floor, I don't want to see you lying in the walkway again." "Yessir!

Vampire politics make the very complicated dance of manners that is werewolf protocol look like the Hokey Pokey.

Do they always flirt with biblical quotes?" Asil asked Tad. In long-suffering tones, Tad said, "They can flirt with the periodic table or a restaurant menu. We've learned to live with it. Get a room, you guys." "Quiet, pup," said Adam with mock sternness. He gave my butt a promissory pat as he said, "Respect your elders.

It is generally a bad thing when someone hunting you is polite. It means they are sure they can take you anytime they want to.

She glanced surreptitiously at Charles, but he was eating the way he usually did—like a well-mannered starving person who wasn't sure where his next meal with coming from.

Being upset is no excuse," Mother said sternly. "If you're going to be rude, do it for a reason and get something from it.

I learned a lot about how to be frigidly polite and still leave somebody feeling like they'd been spanked.