2013BritishEtiquette.pptx

BritishEtiquette,WhatareBritainsSocialCustoms?JaneCoates2013,Beingontime,Britishpeopleplaceconsiderablevalueonpunctuality.InBritain,peoplemakegreatefforttoarriveontime.Itisoftenconsideredimpolitetoarriveevenafewminuteslate.Ifyouareunabletokeepanappointment,itisexpectedthatyoucallthepersonyouaremeeting.,Beingontime,Youshouldarrive:Attheexacttimespecifiedfordinner,lunch,orappointmentswithprofessors,doctors,andotherprofessionals.Anytimeduringthehourspecifiedforreceptionsandcocktailparties.Afewminutesearly:forpublicmeetings,plays,concerts,movies,sportingevents,classes,churchservices,andweddings.Ifyouareinvitedtosomeoneshousefordinnerathalfpastseven,theywillexpectyoutobethereatthattime.Aninvitationmightstate7.30for8,inwhichcaseyoushouldarrivenolaterthan7.50.,Invitations,“Dropinanytime”and“comeseemesoon”areidiomsoftenusedinsocialsettingsbutseldommeanttobetakenliterally.Itiswisetotelephonebeforevisitingsomeoneathome.Wetendnottocallonpeoplewithoutmakinganagreedtimeanddate.Ifyoureceiveawritteninvitationtoaneventthatsays“RSVP”,youshouldrespondtoletthepersonwhosenttheinvitationandletthemknowwhetherornotyouplantoattend.Neveracceptaninvitationunlessyoureallyplantogo.Youmayrefusebysaying,“Thankyouforinvitingme,butIwillnotbeabletocome.”If,afteraccepting,youareunabletoattend,besuretotellthoseexpectingyouasfarinadvanceaspossiblethatyouwillnotbethere.,Givingagift,Althoughitisnotnecessarilyexpectedthatyougiveagifttoyourhost,itisconsideredpolitetodoso,especiallyifyouhavebeeninvitedforaspecialmealorevent.Flowers,chocolate,orasmallgiftareallappropriate.Athank-younoteortelephonecallafterthevisitisalsoconsideredpoliteandisanappropriatemeanstoexpressyourappreciationfortheinvitation.,IntroductionandGreeting,Itispropertoshakehandswitheveryonetowhomyouareintroduced,bothmenandwomen.AnappropriateresponsetoanintroductionisPleasedtomeetyou.Ifyouwanttointroduceyourselftosomeone,extendyouhandforahandshakeandsayHello,Iam.Huggingisonlyforfriends.,ThatstrangeBritishcustom!,DoShakeHands:Whenyouarefirstintroducedtosomeone,shaketheirrighthandwithyourownrighthand.Dosaysorry:Ifyouaccidentallybumpintosomeone,saysorry.Theyprobablywilltoo,evenifitwasyourfault!Thisisahabitandcanbeseenasveryamusingbyanoutsider.DoSmile:Asmilingfaceisawelcomingface.DocoveryourMouth:Whenyawningorcoughingalwayscoveryourmouthwithyourhand.,ThatstrangeBritishcustom!,Donotgreetpeoplewithakiss:Weonlykisspeoplewhoareclosefriendsandrelatives.AvoidtalkingloudlyinpublicItisimpolitetostareatanyoneinpublic.Privacyishighlyregarded.,EatingaMeal,Whenyouacceptadinnerinvitation,tellyourhostifyouhaveanydietaryrestrictions.Heorshewillwanttoplanamealthatyoucanenjoy.TheeveningmealisthemainmealofthedayinmostpartsofBritain.Foodmaybeservedinoneofseveralways:familystyle,bypassingtheservingplatesfromonetoanotheraroundthediningtable;buffetstyle,withguestsservingthemselvesatthebuffet;andservingstyle,withthehostfillingeachplateandpassingittoeachperson.Guestsusuallywaituntileveryoneattheirtablehasbeenservedbeforetheybegintoeat.Foodiseatenwithaknifeandforkanddessertwithaspoonandfork.,WhatshouldIdoornotdowhenIameatinginBritain?,TheBritishgenerallypayalotofattentiontogoodtablemanners.Evenyoungchildrenareexpectedtoeatproperlywithknifeandfork.Weeatmostofourfoodwithcutlery-knives,forksandspoons.Thefoodswedonteatwithaknife,forkorspoonincludesandwiches,crisps,cornonthecob,andfruit.,Thingsyoushoulddo:,Ifyoucannoteatacertaintypeoffoodorhavesomespecialneeds,tellyourhostseveraldaysbeforethedinnerparty.Ifyouareaguest,itispolitetowaituntilyourhoststartseatingorindicatesyoushoulddoso.Itshowsconsideration.Alwayschewandswallowallthefoodinyourmouthbeforetakingmoreortakingadrink.Alwayssaythankyouwhenservedsomething.Itshowsappreciation.Youmayeatchickenandpizzawithyourfingersifyouareatabarbecue,fingerbuffetorveryinformalsetting.Otherwisealwaysuseaknifeandfork.,Thingsyoushouldnotdo:,Neverlickorputyourknifeinyourmouth.Itisimpolitetostarteatingbeforeeveryonehasbeenservedunlessyourhostsaysthatyoudontneedtowait.Neverchewwithyourmouthopen.Noonewantstoseefoodbeingchewedorhearingitbeingchompedon.Itisimpolitetohaveyourelbowsonthetablewhileyouareeating.Dontreachoversomeonesplateforsomething,askfortheitemtobepassed.,Thingsyoushouldnotdo:,Nevertalkwithfoodinyourmouth.Itisimpolitetoputtoomuchfoodinyourmouth.Neveruseyourfingerstopushfoodontoyourspoonorfork.Itisimpolitetoslurpyourfoodoreatnoisily.Neverblowyournoseonanapkin(serviette).Napkinsarefordabbingyourlipsandfingersandonlyforthat.Nevertakefoodfromyourneighboursplate.Neverpickfoodoutofyourteethwithyourfingernails.,Iamnotusedtoeatingwithaknifeandfork.WhatdoIneedtoknow?,Weeatwithforkinthelefthandandtheknifeintheright(ortheotherwayroundifyouarelefthanded).Atthetopofyourplatewillbeadessertspoonanddessertfork.,Iamnotusedtoeatingwithaknifeandfork.WhatdoIneedtoknow?,Whenyouhavefinishedeating,andtoletothersknowthatyouhave,placeyourknifeandfolktogether,withtheprongsontheforkfacingupwards,onyourplate.,Ifitisyoursoleeatinginstrument,theforkshouldbeheldwiththehandlebetweentheindexfingerandthethumbandrestingonthesideofyourmiddlefinger.Ifyouareeatingataformaldinnerparty,youwillcomeacrossmanyknivesandforks.Startwiththeutensilsontheoutsideandworkyourwayinwardwitheachsubsequentcourse,Howtoeatpudding(desserts),Toeatdessert,breakthedessertwiththespoon,onebiteatatime.Pushthefoodwiththefork(optional)intothespoon.Eatfromthespoon.(Forkinlefthand;spooninright.),Whatdoyousayordoifyouveaccidentallytakentoomuchfoodandyoucannotpossiblyeatitall?,Imsorry,butitseemsthatmyeyesarebiggerthanmystomach.orImsorry.ItwassodeliciousbutIamfull.Themainthingisnottooffendyourhost,ThatstrangeBritishcustom!,DostandinlineInEnglandweliketoformorderlyqueues(standinginline)andwaitpatientlyforourturne.g.boardingabus.Itisusualtoqueuewhenrequired,andexpectedthatyouwilltakeyourcorrectturnandnotpushinfront.Queuejumpingisfrownedupon.DosayExcuseMe:Ifsomeoneisblockingyourwayandyouwouldlikethemtomove,sayexcusemeandtheywillmoveoutofyourway.DosayPleaseandThankyou:Itisverygoodmannerstosaypleaseandthankyou.Itisconsideredrudeifyoud