The 5 Worst Table Manners

By: Taylor Pineda

Etiquette training is a thing of the past with the upbeat lifestyle people live today. However, just because our culture promotes a speedy work ethic, etiquette still has the potential to make or break a professional image.

Hectic schedules do not always allow for time to enjoy a nice meal with your family. This rushed outcome does not reinforce etiquette skills and sometimes can leave individuals with offensive manners at the dinner table.

Check out five of the worst manners to have at the dinner table.  

Grooming, this seems pretty straight forward. One should not prim and prep themselves among the company of other people when dining, however, definitions of grooming vary among individuals. As a rule of thumb, when in doubt, excuse yourself to the powder room. Everything from picking your teeth at the table to applying lipstick (sorry ladies) could be considered bad table manners.

Timeliness meaning the speed in which you eat and the time at which you excuse yourself from the table. Remembering to take time to chew between bites, enjoy the food you are eating and the company you are dining with seems easier said than done. Rushed etiquette is not proper etiquette and can be portrayed as not valuing timeliness. Even if you are late to a meal, be sure to regroup and match or even slow the pace of who you are dinning with.

Technology though great for so many things, it is not the best table accessory. No one particularly wants to have a conversation with someone who is not attentive to them because they are distracted with their phone. Of course, sometimes technology is needed for emergencies or during business meetings, but if possible leave distracting technology off and away for the meal part of the dining experience.

Complaints should be left at the door. It is understandable that everyone has different tastes, but take this into consideration when ordering: if it looks exotic, unique, and you are not in the company of someone who you would normally complain to, you may want to wait till next time. The connotation picky eater is not something you want to be associated with, especially if the company you are with is enjoying their meal. If you absolutely have a problem, kindly recognize the situation without bringing too much attention to yourself.

Posture is probably one of the least commonly thought-of table manners, but the idea extends beyond sitting up right, reaching, and how to bite into food. Good dinner table manners encourage individuals to sit up right, with shoulders back in a way that looks professional and also practical to be dining. Reaching should never be done across the table, a polite “excuse me can you pass the bread?” will do just fine. Lastly you should not hunch over when sipping up soup or taking a bite, slow down, take your time and if needed sit closer to the table, odds are you are probably not the only one that has a fear of spilling soup on themselves.