American Table Manners

American Table Manners 線上英語自學中心會話小老師Christine Hsieh 製作

Starting questions • How much do you know about table setting for American table manners? • Bread or salad plates are to the left of the main plate, beverage glasses are to the right. If small bread knives are present, lay them across the bread plate with the handle pointing to the right.

Source: http://www.kohlscorporation.com/ecom/GiftRegistry/formalsetting.htm

General Manners Source: http://sweetglimpse.blogspot.com/2008/05/hey-girl.html

Mastering the basics… • Before dinning: • Men should not wear a hat at the dinner table. Women should not wear hats inside their own homes. • A toast may be offered instead of or in addition to a blessing. • While Dinning: • When a dish is offered from a serving dish (a.k.a. family style), as is the traditional manner, the food may be passed around or served by a host or staff. If passed, you should pass on the serving dish to the next person in the same direction as the other dishes are being passed. • As courses are served, use your silverware from the outside moving inward toward the main plate. Dessert utensils are either above the main plate or served with dessert. • Others: • Don't start to eat before the hostess begins her meal. • Never dip bread into the remnants of gravy, sauce, or soup. You may, however, place the bread in the fluid and then cut it with a knife and fork. • While we're discussing bread, only butter that section of bread you're going to eat in the next bite. Tear the bread with your hands, not your teeth. • Whether you cut spaghetti with a knife or not, never let it dangle off the fork and never slurp it up.

If… • If you drop a utensil on the floor, ignore it. • You should always taste food before adding salt or pepper. • If you are eating with someone who has a piece of spinach between his teeth, do you tell him? Yup, it's kinder than saying nothing, since the problem is so easily solved. • If you're eating a piece of meat that has a serious bone, and there's still meat on that bone, and you can't cut it with a knife, can you pick it up? A qualified yes but leave a bit of meat on the bone. Tearing it up in company is a no-no. • And if you're ever asked to set a table, here are the easy to remember rules for utensil placement. Those with five letters...knife, spoon, glass...go on the right (also five letters). The fork, which is the only utensil with four letters, goes on the left (also four letters).

Your Homework!! Look up the following words and write down what they mean in English to share with the tutor next time. • Beverage • Present • Handle • Elbow • Sit up • Toast (to make a toast) • Silverware • Host • Staff • Course • Bite • Dangle Off • Slurp • Utensil • Pepper • Spinach • Placement • Dip • Remnants • Gravy

Reference • Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_manners#American_table_manners • 輔仁大學 LiveABC http://englearn.fju.edu.tw/login/login.php

American Table Manners