Miss Manners: What is the proper place to rest your empty hand when eating?

DEAR MISS MANNERS: What is the proper dining etiquette with regard to the hand that is not holding a utensil?

When we traveled to Europe, the locals did not like that my unused arm was in my lap, as they said that was improper. My children are constantly bucking my request of using good table manners.

GENTLE READER: The expensive way to solve this would be to offer to take the children to Europe once they master the difference between American and European customs.

In America, it is proper to keep the unused hand in one’s lap; in Europe, it is rested on the table. In neither part of the world is it polite to characterize others’ manners as rude.

And Miss Manners notes that throughout the world, it is proper for children to listen to their parents.

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DEAR MISS MANNERS: Why does it always happen when you are in a public place like a bus, you speak to someone and at least one stranger looks and hangs on to your private conversation? What can one do to stop that?

GENTLE READER: That’s what bus stops are for.

Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website,


www.missmanners.com


; to her email,


dearmissmanners@gmail.com


; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

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