1. Are husbands and wives seated: (a) together or (b) separated, at a formal dinner?
2. Are (a) creamy soups or (b) clear broths more appropriate for the dinner appetizer?
3. Is it appropriate to leave the table (a) during the meal, or (b) after the entrée, when one needs to leave the table for a phone call or bathroom visit?
4. Should a hostess gift be acknowledged, (a) when it is presented, or (b) a note sent after the party?
5. Is it appropriate to serve the soup course for dinner in (a) a soup bowl or (b) a soup plate?
6. Is it appropriate to serve coffee in the evening in (a) a coffee cup or (b) a coffee mug?
7. After drinking soup in a soup plate, should the spoon be (a) left in the bowl, or (b) removed from the plate?
Answers:
1. (b) To stimulate conversation among guests, husbands and wives can be seated opposite each other instead of next to each other.
2. (b) Clear broths are a better choice, as it stimulates but does not spoil the appetite for the other courses that are yet to be served.
3. (b) In modern families and casual dinners, being excused during the meal is fine. However, the more formal the dinner atmosphere, the less acceptable it is to leave, (as men would stand when a lady left and returned to the table.) After dinner, but before the dessert course, is acceptable in such a setting.
4. (a) and (b). A hostess gift is acknowledged when brought to a party. However, if it is sent after the occasion, a small “thank you” note is appropriate.
5. (b) Evening soup should always be served in a soup plate.
6. (a) Evening coffee should always be served in a coffee cup. Mugs are used before lunch.
7. (a) The spoon is left in a soup plate, but removed from a soup bowl and placed in the underlying plate. A soup plated is treated as a dinner plate.
Beauty Tips – Mouth Corner Lift
Everything droops a little with age, even the corners of the mouth. The good news is it can be lifted, and look full and perky with a little effort. Place the index fingers (or thumbs) at the corners of your mouth. Press your lips tightly together in a tight smile, while pushing your thumbs in a small upward motion. Hold for a count of 20 and release. Repeat twice.
Phillipa Morrish is the president of Etiquette Training International.
Etiquette Boss: Appearances do matter