General Dining Etiquette

Do not talk with your mouth full. I’ve had meals with people who constantly talk while they eat. After that first time, I try to position myself at the dining table away from them. It’s not that the person is bad, it’s their dining habits that I won’t deal with. I’d rather eat the food on my plate – not what came flying out of someone else’s mouth while they were talking with their mouth full.
Did you know that the point of etiquette rules is to make you feel comfortable, not uncomfortable? The idea is that if there are standards that people abide by, then you can have confidence that you are behaving “appropriately.” It takes the guesswork out of public behavior. I was blessed to have parents who taught me dining etiquette, but many people are not so fortunate.
However, there simply isn’t time in the day to set aside a separate amount for eating and for talking. By combining the two activities, an incredible amount of time can be saved. Also, none of your companions will ever need to ask what you had for lunch again. They will know, because they can see. Please speak with your mouth full is a tongue-in-cheek article of the benefits of mid-masticational interaction. http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1762076,00.html

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