[TheBigB]

Should a man be told that his fly is open? Yes, people should be always informed of zipper failure.

Your flys are all open.

Madejalook. ;)

[Maceman]

Business etiquette coach Barbara Pachter likes to tell the story of a financial executive who, dining with a potential client, licked his knife clean at the end of the meal. "It was a $30 million dollar lick," she said at a recent etiquette seminar in Goshen, New York, referring to the value of the deal the executive lost by offending the potential customer.

Sounds like an urban legend to me.

[So Cal Rocket]

Heh... I remember the verbal haranguing in Portuguese that I got from a taxi cab driver in Rio de Janiero after I gave him the "OK" sign

[KarlInOhio]

--Should a man be told that his fly is open? Yes, people should be always informed of zipper failure.

There are some who consider that to be a zipper success instead of a failure.

[Judith Anne]

We do fine dining etiquette at family Feasts, on the holidays when everyone is visiting.

At least one meal, and sometimes more, are done with all the forks, knives, spoons, plates, bowls, glasses, napkins, cups and saucers formal dinner setting...it's fun, the kids help set the table and ask about everything fromt the chargers to the butter knives on the bread plates to the fish forks to the dessert spoons, etc.

The only thing we haven't done is the palate-cleansing sherbet between courses...

My grandkids get a kick out of it all...when we put the gold lame tablecloth out and the limoge china, the silver and crystal, light everything with candles...they range in age from 5 to 11...

I told them that when they have this mastered, they can eat dinner at the White House and not have to worry about which freaking fork to use!

[So Cal Rocket]

Which reminds me... can any FReepers from Australia tell me if this is true: Turning your glass upside down at the dinner table is a challenge to a fight to the person across the table from you.

I'm guessing Urban Legend, but just to be on the safe side, if I didn't want wine for dinner, I moved my wine glass far away from me, rather than turn it upside down.

[CO Gal]

Jan Davis, new to Elant management, found herself practicing her handshake with some tips from the coach.

I've noticed that a lot of men have trouble shaking a woman's hand correctly. Please do not feel the need to shatter every bone in my hand with your vice-like, crushing grip, but don't handle my hand like it's a delicate rose petal either. (I'm sure neither applies to any male Freepers, so don't roast me!) :-)

[Between the Lines]

--Where should empty foil butter wrappers go? Fold the foil wrappers in half and place them under the bread plate.

This should be clarified-- Place the wrappers under the rim of the bread plate or the meal plate. Do not lift up the plates and put trash under them.

[river rat]

"--Where should empty foil butter wrappers go? Fold the foil wrappers in half and place them under the bread plate."

I guess she sweeps her dirt under the carpet, too!
I would be VERY suspicious of anyone that dealt with their butter wraps in this way..

What the hell is wrong with folding them up and leaving them on the edge of some appropriate saucer or plate?

Sticking them under the bread plate is both messy and devious....

Semper Fi

[Mark was here]

"It was a $30 million dollar lick," she said at a recent etiquette seminar in Goshen, New York, referring to the value of the deal the executive lost by offending the potential customer.

B.S. Who really believes someone is going to go to the next highest bidder because of a half second of "bad manners"?

[SGCOS]

..dining with a potential client, licked his knife clean at the end of the meal.

I eat my peas with honey;
I've done it all my life.
It makes the peas taste funny,
but it keeps them on my knife.

re: ..what to do with used butter foils.

I roll mine up in a ball and 'flick' them across the dining area, aiming for the snootty blonde with the costume jewelry.

[expatguy]

I have refused business to an American company before when they sent a sales rep to visit me who made a point of letting me know he was a homosexual. I ened up giving the business to an Australian company.

It was quite a disgusting series of events actually. I was advising on the project locally and one of the Americans made of point of telling me he was gay and asked where he could meet other gays in town - I was a bit shocked and just said that I had no idea.

It was a US5 million dollar project and the US company based out of Boston was actually going to get the project until the last minute.

We went to the hotel to meet the guys and the doorman told us that one of "our friends" he was up in the room the night before with two gay boys he had picked up somewhere.

I met later with two of the directors and the CEO and then advised them accordingly.

The project was awarded to the Australians - The company in Boston never knew the reason why. Sad.

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

[HHFi]

Don't know if the story about blowing a $30 million deal is true, but I know of a potential relationship that was killed by bad table manners.

I was at a restaurant Happy Hour with my wife the other evening, next to a table of three very loud and obnoxious young women and one young man, who probably all worked together, and it reminded me of a date I had in college. I took this girl out to dinner, and everything was going fine until the food arrived, whereupon she dived in facefirst and started scarfing it like a Teamster. I swear, she even licked the plate and burped afterward. I was so grossed out, I never asked her out again. I'd really liked her up until that point, but I couldn't face the thought of seeing that hog-slopping demonstration at every meal for the rest of my life.

It made me want to tell that story to the girls in the restaurant, who seemed to think that their obnoxious antics (shrieking with open-mouthed laughter while chewing food, etc.) were really amusing the guy at their table, who looked to me as if he wanted to flee. I know the feeling, pal.

[HIDEK6]

Should a man be told that his fly is open?

OK, by popular demand, here it is:

A guy walks into a bar, orders a beer, and notices a piano in the corner. He asks the bartender if it is OK to play a tune.

The bartender says, OK, but if you're no good, I'll have to ask you to stop.

Theu guy sits down and plays the most beautiful song the bartender ever heard.

The bartender says, "Hey buddy, what was the name of that tune? It's beautiful."

The guy says, "Oh, it's one I wrote. It's called, 'I love you so #9!!%$**& much I can't hardly ^%(**#@^.'"

He then plays a tune more beautiful than the first. When asked its name he says, "That one is called, 'You're so #(*&%#$!)_ gorgeous that my &)$%@#& #)*(&*%$%@ hurts.'"

So then he goes to the bathroom. He forgets to zip up. The bartender says, "Hey buddy. Do you know you forgot to zip your fly and your &*&^#$ is hanging out?"

The guy says, "Know it? I WROTE IT!"

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

When I was growing up, a copy of Emily Post was de rigueur in our house. Thank goodness, and I love my parents for that. The lessons in it have never failed me.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

But, the only problem growing up with Emily Post is that those who didn’t/don’t, or the like, view good manners as a personal weakness. I had to learn as an adult to get into the gutter with these ##@%% and show them I was/am capable of a good ugly scrap on their level.

[jwh_Denver]

"Don't even touch spaghetti; it's too messy."

Or fried chicken or ribs. Basically anything you can't eat simply with a knife, fork, and spoon. If the salad leaves are too big, cut them with a knife.

[clarissaexplainsitall]

"Etiquette is saying that it's really OK to be nice," said Peter Post"

Peter Post doesn't get it. Etiquette is not about being nice, it's about holding up your end of the bargain in your contract with society. He then goes on to say that Dennis whats-his-name of Tyco is in prison b/c of bad manners and not stealing. Huh?