Guys, Do you have good table manners?

[DishLady]

Was at a posh restaurant and across from me was a guy who sucked at his teeth then dug like half his hand way back into his mouth to pick at something in his teeth. I wanted to suggest... go to the bathroom and do that... or at least ask for a toothpick.

Then the person joining me started talking about very gory medical issues, which put me off my lunch... I was always taught not to talk about biological/medical things or anything remotely unpleasant at the table.

Not to mention the handsome fellow across the way who held his knife and fork like a bass violinist... Hmm... pity.

So I started wondering how many fellows on G@G have bothered learning good table manners?

[HawkPerception]

What is sucking on teeth exactly? If it's when your mouth is closed and you quickly wipe your teeth with your tongue, making your lips protrude, then I sometimes do that. I try not to make it that noticeable as I don't always carry floss or toothpicks around.

When it comes to what I talk about, I'm comfortable talking about anything at a dinner table. I'm definitely not squeamish. But I usually ask for permission to talk about it if I do have something that might not not be a dinner conversation, to see if they're comfortable talking about it. I rarely talk bring that up though.

I do burp occasionally, especially after I drink carbonated drinks. Pretty hard for me to control those. I don't know how people do honestly. I try to keep my mouth closed, but it's usually still pretty noisy and noticeable.

Not much else I can think of. I'm definitely not a candidate for a British tea party, but I try to be respectful.

[DishLady]

My goodness, HP...

"Sucking teeth" isn't necessarily a closed-mouth operation. It's exactly what it sounds like. Basically shifting your mouth at different angles and making a sucking gesture to get crap out of your teeth. (Most public restaurants carry toothpicks, you don't have to carry a personal stash.)

[Mark987]

I got hired at a firm a long time ago, where they made you take restaurant eddict classes, especially when you meet a client they wanted to make sure you knew what fork to use etc lol. I found it overbearing. Call me old school but I can't stand guys wearing sport hats in restaurants.

[DishLady]

*etiquette?

[DishLady]

I've taught those too.

[slatyb]

My mother taught us table manners and later I understood the reasons for all of them. I have a couple of friends who fist their utensils and it seems quite odd to me.

[DishLady]

@Jackblue Stop tolling, JB. No one said they felt superior.

[Spencer10]

I think so. My parents taught me well... I sure do not sit there with my phone out thats for sure!

[DishLady]

The phone etiquette was a new one for me, and the verdict is still out in instances where I don't have a purse and don't want to keep the phone on my lap (or on the spare chair at the table, where I'll likely forget it. I tend to put it face down on the table, beside the unused butter plate.

[Spencer10]

The phone is a big deal for me. If having a meal together with other humans just put it away and show your table companions some respect... pay attention to them not your phone.

[DishLady]

I just figured to flip it and not take calls/texts at the table.

[Spencer10]

That will work... for me I need it off the table all together. No temptation that way.

[DishLady]

Meh. It's not a temptation to me. And if I have pockets I usually stash it in a pocket and forget about it. (My issue is more about forgetting the phone exists and leaving it at a table/side chair.

[exitseven]

hahahaha I also hold a knife and fork like a violinist. That made me laugh.

[DishLady]

My cousin does as well. I'm not quite sure why. I always thought bc he's a lefty. Are you a lefty?

[exitseven]

asa matter of fact I am. Can't you tell? i am in my right mind.

[spartan55]

Spartan is lefty too.

[DishLady]

Hahaha. I figured my cousin and the one other person in my family who do that are lefties so there was a commonality in that and a few other things. (There are more (older) lefties in the family but they were "trained out of it" in elementary school.)

[spartan55]

@DishLady that's interesting because my mom told me she had to battle my kindergarten teacher because she was trying to convert me to righty. Phyllis wasn't havin that.

[DishLady]

@spartan55 Hahaha. Well I won't ask what you do with your left hand today, but back then "conversion therapy" was the standard.

[spartan55]

What do you mean 'what I do' with it... write, throw, eat... I don't know where your mind went...😳

[spartan55]

As a child, I was way too strong willed to be 'converted' to anything I wasn't on board with.

[DishLady]

@spartan55 I didn't say anything! I thought the writing would have been your one right-handed thing. The eating thing is the toughest to convert, I don't know why bc I'm ambidexterous.

[exitseven]

@DishLady In first grade I had an old battleaxe for a teacher. She had a wooden pointer with a black rubber tip. She would whack me on the hand if she saw me writing with my left hand. That may have been the beginning of my problems with authority. I would put the pencil in my right hand and then when she walked away I would write lefty again.

[DishLady]

OMG YES I REMEMBER THOSE! Uuugh. PTSD of elementary school. Nowadays kids complain that there isn't oat milk in the cafeteria as part of the free breakfast/lunch plan...

[spartan55]

My kindergarten teacher's area of concern was using scissors with my left hand. I STILL occasionally have to cut something with scissors and I become completely helpless.

[exitseven]

@DishLady So in third grade I had a classroom that was right next to the principals office. One day the teacher said sha had to leave the room and everyone was supposed to stay in their seat. AS soon as the teacher left I went over and started drawing on the blackboard. I felt a big hand on my shoulder and I looked up and there was the principal. He dragged me into his office and I sat across from him as he went in his desk and retrieved an 18 inch ruler that had a brass strip that ran the length of it. He told me to hold out my hand. He gave me about a dozen good whacks on the back of my hand. I refused to cry but at the end of it, little tears were starting to come out of the corners of my eyes. Then he sent me back to my classroom.
Fast forward about 15 years and I had a friend in college. She ws engaged to my roommate but when the broke up we stayed friends. I spent a lot of time at her house. Her father asked me where I lived and I told him the name of the town. He asked me of I knew John X. I asked him if he meant John X the principal. He said that my elementary school principal was his college roommate. I never told him about the rat tan.

[DishLady]

Oh... my... goodness. Talk about a small world!

[spartan55]

Mine adapt to where I'm dining. Fancy steakhouse? You'll see SPARTAN'S best effort. Casual lunch at home in front of the TV? Free for all.

[Ironco]

I still hear my mother chewing my ass at putting my elbows on the table to this day... lol

[DishLady]

Yes! I put an elbow on the table the other day and immediately popped it off bc I felt the nagging. Haha.

[spartan55]

That one I could usually get away with.

[worldscolide]

Depends on if I'm at home alone with my wife, or in a public setting, or if I'm around a bunch of people.

[Staximus]

For the most part

[CubaPirate]

Id like to think so

[Twodogs0525]

I do but I do eat fast.