They hold a fork straight up and down, like they re going stab their food, afraid it s going to get away. They hold the knife the same way. They use it like a saw. You see it everywhere. Another thing that drives me crazy, added Madison. is how everybody dives into the bread as soon as it comes to the table, then they butter it in the air, instead of on their plate.
Nobody knows what to do with the napkin.
Madison has a bounty of do s and don ts of table etiquette. Be it a business luncheon, family meal, black-tie dinner, or just a burger at Wendy s, there s a right way and wrong way to eat civilly. And Gail Madison knows the difference. She s been teaching it now for two years at the Madison School of Etiquette and Protocol, an instructional program of classes, seminars and tutorial programs for anyone from pre-schoolers to executives and every diner in between. We re a McManners generation, said Madison.