Benny
I enjoy answering questions on Quora. I answer people’s questions in various categories but the hardest one must be the English grammar section.
Last year, I was asked a question, “What screams I don’t have table manners?” And below were instances where lack of table manners is unacceptable.
- You make the irritating noise in your mouth when eating a hot meal or drinking a hot beverage e.g. coffee or tea. It’s understandable for the elders and children but for the rest of us, it’s annoying. Wait till the food or drink has cooled or is warm.
- You can’t chew food with your mouth closed. Nobody likes the sight of chewed food. Some can become nauseated or end up vomiting.
- You eat while talking. The sight of the chewed food in the mouth is not welcoming. It is disgusting. The worst scenario is when some particles of the chewed food ‘jump’ from your mouth to somebody’s face. Although the person might not voice out your lack of manners, you should be aware they’re not happy with it.
- It is considered a lack of manners in some countries when you don’t finish the food your host has served for you. Your host prepared a delicious meal and served you some of it but you don’t finish it for a reason. The reason might be justifiable or ridiculous. I don’t think your host will acknowledge your reason wholeheartedly even if it is genuine.
- You eat food greedily. Well, they say, “Eat like a civilized person.” Eat at a slow pace. However tasty the food is, don’t hurry to finish it. The exception is when you are in a hurry. I don’t think even in this case your host will appreciate your reason.
- You can’t eat peacefully. You behave like a child leaving the table and the floor in a mess – particles of food are spread around or on the side of the plate or on the floor.
- You have been unable to grind a piece of meat with your molars so that you can swallow it with ease. Swallowing a whole piece of meat is not recommended. Thus, you remove it from your mouth and place it next to your plate. The worst part is when you hold the piece of meat that was once in your mouth between your fingers, and insert it between your upper and lower incisors so that you can shred it into finer pieces. The sight of the piece of meat that was once in the mouth will make some to stop eating because they’ll feel the urge to throw up.
- Reaching all the way across a 4 foot wide table to serve yourself something, rather than asking for the serving dish to be passed to you. (Janna Nikkola)
- You take large chunks of food that it’s visible your mouth is loaded with a large amount of food by the evidence of the puffed mouth. This habit should be left to children.
- Don’t smile when eating or when you have finished eating and are waiting for other to complete their meal. There is nothing wrong with smiling. The problem is when you smile widely people will become disgusted at having to see some remains of food that have stuck on your teeth. You know, the meat and vegetables are the culprits.
- Staring at people while they are eating food. It ain’t good. It ain’t right.
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Question of
Observing table manners is a right thing to do, right?
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Yes
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No
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Question of
Do you have lack of table manners that you’ve observes or they irritate you?
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Yes
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No
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There is something very majestic about eating. Lack of manners means disrespect for food.
Exactly, Lacho59. Observing good manners during eating is quiet majestic in itself.
Sometimes we really experience unpleasant situations. Some don’t really know the rules.
You are right. Some people don’t know some habits are uncalled for.
The first three are very irritating to me. I have always wondered how mukbangs (people eating on camera) became so popular on the internet.
Coming to think of mukbangs which is a new vocabulary to me, I also wonder how it became a sensation.
Some viewers say that they feel like eating with friends watching these videos, but in the few videos I saw, they purposely overexaggerate all these eating noises.
You make some valid points here. And I love the photo!
Thank you, Carol. The photo made me smile when I saw it.
it is a part of the culture.
Do you tell someone that they don’t observe social norms? Because one of those social norms is not calling attention to someone publically.
So you have to always pull them aside one on one. Then carefully explain the issue to them.
That is a wise thing to do, I agree. Call the person aside and explain. I only tell someone if it’s the two of us eating or drinking hot beverage. When among many people, I let it go.
that is a wise course of action! It is a difficulty of the modern internet world. People think it is ok to call people names in private messages.
it isn’t.
the rules of decent manners still apply!
Exactly. Decent manners apply even in the online world. But sadly, people think they can and say what they want and they don’t even teach their children to observe them.
I have heard several times a parent telling their children. You let that boy beat you. Stupid you. If he beats you, beat him in retaliation.
it is a sad discourse on the state of the world.
This is why I do not like to eat with many people, sometimes you live awkward situations
When eating with a lot of people, one is bound to be irritated.
I am not comfortable eating with anyone who does not observe table etiquette
I can tolerate but I will be irritated especially by abled and not elderly or children whom I can’t blame.
Some people are disabled and some cant chop their food because they are unable to use one hand.
My husband doesn’t like going out for dinner for this reason, while I pay no attention to him.
I think that if a person does not deliberately try to disgust people, its better to ignore anything that a disabled person cant do.
Sad to see some cant go out for dinner because they are physically disabled but I can live with it.
You’re right, in special circumstances like you’ve noted it is understandable. One shouldn’t be put off because they don’t do it deliberately.
The above is referenced to abled people excluding children and the elderly. Thanks for including another exception.
I often try more to be less judging of people but won’t promise it. In some cultures it is held as a good thing to leave a little food on the plate while in other cultures it is deemed as rude.
Here in Africa it is regarded rude to leave food on the plate.