How often have you heard this while growing up? At home, at your aunt’s dining table and in poems, the words must echo in your head even now. What does it really mean? Why does it matter? To whom does it apply?
This is a golden rule of dining etiquette which is to be practised when you eat with cutlery. As is the case with all rules of etiquette, this too is to ensure that no one is inconvenienced and there is equitable access, in this case, to the dining table for everyone at it.
When you eat with cutlery, it is only your wrists that need to reach the table. Your arms remain more or less parallel to your body on either side or between your body and the table.
This is essentially to avoid crowding the table and looking clunky. Your food is well cooked (hopefully), so some simple wrist manoeuvres should have your food ready to go through your digestive system. It is highly unlikely that you need to butcher the food with all your might to get a bite sized piece off of your plate. This way, the table remains cleaner and sprucer than if you were to bring on elbows, jackets and sweaty arms.
Things are very different when you eat with your fingers, as is the practice in some parts of the world. More on that in another write up from fullofetiquette.com and in the meantime, if you have questions write to us at fullofetiquette@gmail.com.
Leave a Reply