Unit 23

British Table Manners (I)

British table manners include the following:
- The fork is held in your left hand and the knife is held in your
right.
- You should hold your knife with the handle in your palm and
your fork in the other hand with the prongs pointing downwards.
- If youre eating a dessert, your fork (if you have one) should
be held in the left hand and the spoon in the right.
- When eating soup, you should hold your spoon in your right
hand and tip the bowl away from you, scooping the soup in
movements away from yourself.
- It is not acceptable to use your fingers at the table to eat or
push food onto your fork. You may, however, eat some foods such as
fruit, sandwiches, burgers, crisps, chips or pizza with your fingers.
- If there are a number of knives or forks, then you should start
from the outside set working your way in as each course is served.
- Drinks should always be to the right of your plate with the
bread roll to the left.
- When eating bread rolls, break off a piece before buttering.
Use your knife only to butter the bread, not to cut it.
- You should not start eating before your host does or instructs
you to do so. At larger meals, it is considered okay to start eating
once others have been served.
- When youre finished, place your knife and fork together at
six oclock with your fork on the left (tines facing up) and knife on the
right, with the knife blade facing in. This signals that you are finished.
- Your serviette should never be screwed up. Nor should it be
folded neatly as that would suggest that your host might plan to use it
again without washing it - just leave it neatly but loosely.
- Never blow your nose on your serviette. Place it on your lap
and use it to dab your mouth if you make a mess.
- It is considered rude to answer the telephone at the table. If
you need to take an urgent call, excuse yourself and go outside.
- Always ask for permission from the host and excuse yourself
if you need to leave the table. You should place your napkin on your
seat until you return. (After Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia)

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 Vocabulary
at six oclock = n locul unde se afl indicat pe cadran ora 6
away from = departe de
blow ones nose (v.) = a-i sufla nasul
bowl = bol, castron
bread roll = corn
break off (v.) = a rupe
British table manners = manierele elegante la mas n Marea
Britanie
burger = chiftea
butter (v.) = a unge cu unt
crisp = biscuite crocant
cut (v.) = a tia
dab (v.) = a tampona
downwards = n jos
face in (v.) = a sta cu faa spre interior
face up (v.) = a sta cu faa n sus
folded = mpturit()
fork = furculi
handle = mner
hold (v.) = a ine
knife (pl. knives) = cuit
knife blade = lama cuitului
lap = poal
neatly but loosely = mpturit() dar cu imperfeciuni
once = odat ce
outside set = setul dinafar
palm = palm
point (v.) = a indica
prongs = dinii furculiei
push onto (v.) = a mpinge pe
rude = nepoliticos
scoop (v.) = a lua
screwed up = mototolit(), murdrit()
spoon = lingur
tines = dinii furculiei
tip = a apleca, a nclina
working ones way = a-i face treaba
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 Exercises
1. Answer the questions.
-

How should we hold the fork and the knife?

How should we hold the fork and the spoon when eating the
dessert?
How should we eat soup?
Can we use our fingers at the table to eat?
Where should drinks always be?
Where should bread rolls always be?
What should knives be used to?
Should we start eating before our host does?
What should we do when we are finished?

2. Match the following.

1. manner

2. mannered
3. mannerism
4. mannerist
5. manneristic
6. mannerliness
7. mannerly
8. to the manner

a. a distinctive behavioural trait, an

idiosyncrasy; exaggerated or affected
style or habit, as in dress or speech; an
artistic style of the late 16th century
characterized by distortion of elements
such as scale and perspective
b. a way of doing something or the way in
which a thing is done or happens; a way
of acting, bearing or behaviour; the
socially correct way of acting, etiquette
c. accustomed to a position, custom, or
lifestyle from or as if from birth
d. having manners of a specific kind; having
or showing a certain manner, artificial or
affected; of, relating to, or exhibiting
mannerisms
e. having or showing good manners; with
good manners; politely
f. lack of manners
g. mannerist
h. somebody exhibiting mannerism

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born
3. Group the following words related to being full of food, as in the
model.
be full bloated couldnt eat another thing filling have had
enough heavy no more room on a full stomach satiated
satisfied stodgy stuffed
being full of food

Words referring to
food that makes you feel full

be full
4. Fill in with the proper conjunctions from below.
or (3 times) that (3 times) though
Etiquette, one aspect of decorum, is a code governs the
expectations of social behaviour, according to the contemporary
conventional norm within a society, social class, or group. Usually
unwritten, it may be codified in written form. Etiquette usually reflects
formulas of conduct in which society tradition has invested. An
etiquette may reflect an underlying ethical code, it may grow more
as a fashion, as in 18th century Britain where apparently pointless acts
like the manner in which a tea cup was held became associated with
the upper class. Like culture, it is a word has gradually grown
plural, especially in a multi-ethnic society with many clashing
expectations. Thus, it is now possible to refer to an etiquette a
culture, realizing that these may not be universal. In Britain, , the
word etiquette has its roots in the 18 th century, becoming a universal
force in the 19th century to the extent it has been described as the
one word that aptly describes life during the reign of Queen Victoria.
5. Which of the following is prohibited at table?
ask the host to be excused before leaving chew with your mouth
close coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose not make loud
or unusual noises while eating not talk at an excessively loud
volume not tilt back your chair play with your food or table utensils
not rest your fore-arms on the table talk with food in your mouth
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 tell someone who has shown poor table manners

6. Insert punctuation marks and capital letters where necessary in
order to obtain a correct text.
according to french table manners both hands must be above the
table at the same time they cannot be below the table even if they are
together this rule comes from medieval times where the king feared
assassination to make sure he was able to dine safely all persons
dining with him kept their hands above the table where they could be
seen at all times the action of putting your hands below the table was
interpreted as an attempt to grab your dagger and assassinate the
king
7. Put the verbs between brackets in the appropriate tenses. You will
have to decide whether the text requires passive or active forms of
the verbs.
The Montreal-Philippines cutlery controversy (to be) an international
incident that (to arise) in 2006, when a 7-year-old boy of Filipino birth
(to discipline) repeatedly by authorities in his elementary school in the
Montreal suburb of Roxboro, for using his cutlery in a Filipino way. In
April of 2006, the boy (to punish) on ten separate occasions by the
school lunchroom monitor for disgusting and piggish eating habits:
using a fork to push his food onto a spoon before eating it. The boys
parents (to protest). The boys mother (to pursue) a formal apology,
reporting that, in a telephone conversation with school principal
Normand Bergeron, he (to tell) her Madame, you (to be) in Canada
now. Here in Canada you should eat the way Canadians (to eat).
The story (pick up) by the media; in response, the Canadian embassy
in Manila (to surround) by protestors, and Jose Brillantes, the
Philippines Ambassador to Canada, (to issue) an official
condemnation, saying that it (to be) an affront to Filipino culture.
8. Give your opinions on the incident presented in the text above,
using expressions from the table.
As far as Im concerned I feel very strongly that I tend to
think that I would suggest that It seems to me that It
strikes me that It is believed that but People often claim

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that but what they dont realize is There is no point in

9. Fill in the blanks with the suitable form of the adjectives and
adverbs between brackets.
-

I am not interested in knowing how to cook snails. (little)

Joey called to say he would arrive than he had promised,
as he was caught up at work. (late)
The he worked the results he obtained. (much good)
The the rain stops, the for the crops in the field. (soon
good)
The cook said he couldnt feel about the incident. (bad)
We wont go anywhere tonight. The wind gets and
(strong)
Well make of our dinner. (more)

Lets Laugh!
A Christian and philosopher and educator, Erasmus of Rotterdam, the
greatest classical scholar of the northern Humanist of Renaissance,
determined that manners was the best instilled at an early age. Here
are some samples from the three century best seller, On Civility in
Children (c.1530):
- Turn away when spitting lest your saliva fall on someone. If
anything purulent falls on the ground, it should be trodden upon,
lest it nauseate someone.
- To lick greasy fingers or to wipe them on your coat is impolite. It
is better to use the table cloth or the serviette.
- Some people put their hands in the dishes the moment they have
sat down. Wolves do that.
- You should not offer your handkerchief to anyone unless it has
been freshly washed. Nor is it seemly, after wiping your nose, to
spread out your handkerchief and peer into it as if pearl and
rubies might have fallen out of your head.
- If you cannot swallow a piece of food, turn around discreetly and
throw it somewhere.
- Retain the wind by compressing the belly.
- Do not be afraid of vomiting if you must; for it is not vomiting but
holding the vomit in your throat that is foul.

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Do not move back and forth on your chair. Whoever does that
gives the impression of constantly breaking or trying to break
wind.

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