After bachin’ (pronounced “batchin”) it up for five years or so, it can be difficult and tiring for a guy to go from ramen noodles and Hungry Man dinners to salad forks and cleansing his palate.
Luckily, no one here on the internet expects the not-so-fairer sex to do it on their own. Ploomy, a blog dedicated to keeping men “informed, inspired and intrigued,” recently published a list of “Table Manner Tips Ever Guy Should Know.”
Despite admonishing their readers that the list is not to be considered the definitive source on table etiquette, Ploomy provides a crash course on fine dining in a three minute read. That’s quite impressive.
By the end of the article, men (who care and are paying attention) should be able to tell which fork to use when, how to properly contact a waiter and how to remove inedible bits of food from their mouths. No, that last one does not require a toothpick or paper napkins.
The best part about the list is that the author successfully does two things while maintaining the brevity of each entry: clearly articulates the actions required to follow the rule and gives a logical reason why the rule exists. I know that I wouldn’t want to follow a rule, especially if it sounds stupid (wipe your mouth every time you want to take a drink? with a napkin?), unless I was given a reason. And I’m not even a guy!
Although the list will be a helpful tool for men interested in learning the ropes of fine dining for business or personal reasons, from the reactions in the comments section it seems that many Ploomy readers are already quite on top of their table manners. One reader went so far as to write up a handful of tips that the article didn’t include. Chew on that and push it to the front of your mouth before removing it discretely with a fork, Ploomy!
To read the full article (and comments) for yourself, click here.
Image: Ilfiasco.com
Tags: fine dining, for men, table manners, table etiquette, Ploomy