[etiquette part 1] gentlemen are unnecessary today
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Another ten points here …
8 Respect your elders Just think of yourself 5 years ago... do you know more today? Yet you thought you knew it all 5 years ago.
9 Never laugh at others' mistakes. This is just weak.
10 Remove your hat indoors. This rule still goes.
11 Wait for seating before eating. Wait for the girls to sit and even help them.
12 Always open doors. Difficult in Russia but try.
13 Coat please. Always help a lady put on her coat or overgarment. This is a simple but powerful thing to do.
14 Take my seat. Anywhere – home, bus, train, café – give the lady your seat if there are none available.
15 Is this yours? If a woman drops something, a gentleman (yourself of course) should pick it up and return the object to her.
16 Stand. Always stand when a lady enters or exits the room.
17 Take my arm, I beg of you. When escorting a lady you should offer her your arm, especially if she's wearing heels.
So, what do you think? Dead as a dodo, these rules?
8 Respect your elders Just think of yourself 5 years ago... do you know more today? Yet you thought you knew it all 5 years ago.
9 Never laugh at others' mistakes. This is just weak.
10 Remove your hat indoors. This rule still goes.
11 Wait for seating before eating. Wait for the girls to sit and even help them.
12 Always open doors. Difficult in Russia but try.
13 Coat please. Always help a lady put on her coat or overgarment. This is a simple but powerful thing to do.
14 Take my seat. Anywhere – home, bus, train, café – give the lady your seat if there are none available.
15 Is this yours? If a woman drops something, a gentleman (yourself of course) should pick it up and return the object to her.
16 Stand. Always stand when a lady enters or exits the room.
17 Take my arm, I beg of you. When escorting a lady you should offer her your arm, especially if she's wearing heels.
So, what do you think? Dead as a dodo, these rules?
posted by James Higham at 20:13
5 Comments:
I think that we are all just a little out of practice and inwardly focused in our busy little lives. Some care and consideration for other human beings, regardless of sex has many benefits.
2 points:
Swearing is actually very funny when used at the right time and moment. It has a great effect and getting it right I would suggest shows great wit and intelligence.
Anyone who uses it instead of learning a real vocabulary is just ignorant.
I think a lot of these ideas are out-dated. Wimmin' who wish to be treated equally with men no longer diegn to be treated so. It makes me think of a friend's immortal line:
Does a woman you see in the street hate you for passing a glance at her or hate you for not passing a glance at her?
Very good advice, James. I'd add always helping ladies in and out of cars and -- very important, this -- if it's the back seat and you're a passenger, too (e.g. a taxi), help her in on the pavement side and then walk round and get in yourself on the other side. Don't, in other words, expect her to slither across to make room for you.
I don't know if you've noticed this, but I found Russian women expect this sort of courtesy from men, no matter how badly they're used to Russian behaving in other ways, and are quite shocked by what they see as appalling manners when they come to London.
Well, I failed 1,2,3,4 and 6; 8 was easy because I'm old, but I then failed 9 and 11 but the latter I blame on early army training when it was wise to scoff your grub pronto lest some pillock of an officer shouted "Prepare to move" before you had finished. I try with 16 but find it increasingly difficult because people think you are suffering with St. Vitus dance!
Colin - it's easy to forget. Cityunslicker, the question of whether a woman is a lady is valid, in my book. Notsaussure, Russian women certainly demand it but don't always get it. David, I'll have to go back now and check on which you passed and failed.
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