Sorry I've been AWOL again this week on the postings. Been trying to finish the WIP, Before The Morning (one chapter short of the end! Woot!) and I also have the boys at home on break. Between navigating these, my days are topsy turvy.
But then I came upon this article, and I knew I just had to share with you all!
We write heroes, right? Honourable men, strong men, sexy men, bad boys, sweet men - but always, always, gentlemen! There are some things a man should definitely know... like how to behave at a dining table. Most first/successive dates happen over a dinner table, and I suppose you want your hero to behave like a gentleman, not like a baboon (reserve that for the good-for-nothing layabout your heroine has to ditch!). Even villains need some manners - I love me a suave, smooth villain like the ones in James Bond - totally classy, and always, always, gentlemen!).
So here I stumble upon this article - a guide to proper, fine dining etiquette for gentlemen. Trust me - your heroes could use these pointers... and come to think of it, the men in your life too.
This will be the first post in a series of etiquette links I'll post in the coming Thursdays. Enjoy!
The article is from John Mariani and I grabbed it from Esquire.com You can check it in the original slideshow here.
*****
A Gentleman's Guide to Dining Etiquette
Thirty-nine rules to eating like a proper man, courtesy of Esquire's food correspondent, and in no particular order. But very particularly.
By John Mariani
By John Mariani
1. A gentleman is never unintentionally rude.
2. A gentleman always dresses appropriately.
3. A gentleman never bribes a maître d'.
4. A gentleman never has more than one cocktail before dinner.
5. A gentleman never takes more than one minute to decide on his meal.
6. A gentleman never talks about golf with women present.
8. A gentleman does not table-hop.
9. A gentleman does not frequent any restaurant so loud that he cannot hold a conversation with the person across from him.
10. A gentleman never drinks beer from a bottle at a restaurant.
11. A gentleman does not use sugar substitutes.
12. A gentleman always gets up from his chair when a woman gets up from hers or approaches the table.
13. A gentleman does not drink water with a lime or lemon slice in it.
14. A gentleman never has his cell phone on the table.
15. A gentleman never discusses the price of a meal or wine.
16. A gentleman never overtips.
17. A gentleman always orders after his guests do.
18. A gentleman never orders salad as a main course.
19. A gentleman never applauds when the chef comes out.
20. A gentleman takes his mother out to dinner at least four times a year.
21. A gentleman lets his father take him out to dinner four times a year.
22. A gentleman does not sniff the cork but merely glances at it to see if the vintage is the same as on the bottle label.
23. A gentleman never says more than three words about the quality of a wine served.
24. A gentleman should always quietly dispute an error on a check with the manager.
25. A gentleman should never dance at a Greek restaurant…
26. ... or sing karaoke in a Japanese restaurant.
27. A gentleman never tucks his napkin into his shirt.
28. A gentleman should send back a wine only if it has gone bad or been corked.
29. A gentleman should never be ashamed to ask for a doggie bag.
30. A gentleman never shakes a breadstick in the air to make a point.
31. A gentleman never draws on the tablecloth.
32. A gentleman never admires another man's shoes.
33. A gentleman should never put his hand over a wine glass to indicate "no more."
34. A gentleman never snaps his fingers to get a waiter's attention.
35. A gentleman knows the difference between a sauce spoon and a soup spoon, as well as the functions of all silverware on a table.
36. A gentleman goes to the restroom before sitting down to dinner.
37. A gentleman never asks a chef to alter his cooking.
38. A gentleman always has coffee after dessert.
39. A gentleman may flirt with the coat check girl but must never ask her out on a date.
*****
From Mauritius with love,
Zee
11 comments:
Love this post! Great idea to help in the writing of a dinner scene with any type of hero your heart desires! This fits them all.
Thanks for sharing Zee...looking forward to what you have coming up next week!
Great post! Definitely useful suggestions not only during dinner scenes, but they can be used to help develop the hero's character. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Christine! Exactly what I thought - could totally help with a dinner scene... or that first date scene. :)
Thanks Lia! I totally agree - these tips/pointers will also work in 'real' life too for the heroes, not just dinner scenes. I love using human insight/psychology articles to develop my characters, and that's a passion I want to share with the readers of my blog. :)
LMAO! Some of these were hilarious, others had me scratching my head. Never uses a sugar substitute, Never orders salad as a main course, and my favorite: Never draws on the table cloth!
The ones about singing Karaoke and Greek Dancing were funny too.
I'm sure these are serious, so please excuse me, but I couldn't help but to find them humorous as well.
Great post!
I married a gentleman! Yay!! Of course he's a cowboy, so it goes with the jeans (genes). This is an awesome list to keep handy when I need to keep a character in check - especially when he's trying to impress someone. Great find, Zee!! Thanks for sharing.
LOL, awesome list. And I can say without a doubt, my husband is no gentleman!!!
Hey Renee
Lol, I was scratching my head at some points (a gentleman never draws on the tablecloth...? Uh, is he 6 years old? Lol) Totally agree on the Greek & Japanese restaurants though.
And yes, it's serious, but it's true that it's funny and makes you wonder too. :)
Thanks for dropping by
Sheri,
You lucky girl! Yep, definitely a handy list that can apply to life in general, and not just the dining table. :) xoxo
Lol, Brenda! Aww, he might not be a gentleman but he's got to have his good sides. For instance, he had the good sense to marry you, didn't he? :) *hugs*
Well...that leaves ME out!
I make it a point to overtip, quite enjoy sniffing the cork on the wine, and drink my beer from the bottle. But sugar substitutes and getting up when a lady arrives? Damn straight! :)
Great post, Zee! ;)
*signed*
Clearly NOT A Gentleman
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