American companies find manners still matter

AP ^ | Jun 28, 2005 | Ellen Wulfhorst

[TheBigB]

Should a man be told that his fly is open? Yes, people should be always informed of zipper failure.

Your flys are all open.

Madejalook. ;)

[Maceman]

Business etiquette coach Barbara Pachter likes to tell the story of a financial executive who, dining with a potential client, licked his knife clean at the end of the meal. "It was a $30 million dollar lick," she said at a recent etiquette seminar in Goshen, New York, referring to the value of the deal the executive lost by offending the potential customer.

Sounds like an urban legend to me.

[So Cal Rocket]

Heh... I remember the verbal haranguing in Portuguese that I got from a taxi cab driver in Rio de Janiero after I gave him the "OK" sign

[Maceman]

Your flys are all open.

Thanks for your helpful frankness. Since one good turn deserves another, I suppose I should be equally frank and tell you that your spelling sucks.

[Jack of all Trades]

Whenever my wife points out my zipper failures I try to be polite saying "thanks for noticing".

[KarlInOhio]

--Should a man be told that his fly is open? Yes, people should be always informed of zipper failure.

There are some who consider that to be a zipper success instead of a failure.

[Judith Anne]

We do fine dining etiquette at family Feasts, on the holidays when everyone is visiting.

At least one meal, and sometimes more, are done with all the forks, knives, spoons, plates, bowls, glasses, napkins, cups and saucers formal dinner setting...it's fun, the kids help set the table and ask about everything fromt the chargers to the butter knives on the bread plates to the fish forks to the dessert spoons, etc.

The only thing we haven't done is the palate-cleansing sherbet between courses...

My grandkids get a kick out of it all...when we put the gold lame tablecloth out and the limoge china, the silver and crystal, light everything with candles...they range in age from 5 to 11...

I told them that when they have this mastered, they can eat dinner at the White House and not have to worry about which freaking fork to use!

[LibFreeOrDie]

And be careful flashing the "V for victory" sign in Great Britain: palms out is OK, but palms in is offensive. (I think I got that right...)

[TheBigB]

I did consider "flies", but decided that that particular spelling of the plural was too closely connected with any of the numerous two-winged insects of the order Diptera, especially any of the family Muscidae, which includes the housefly. That, in turn, would have rendered the joke much less effective. IMHO.

[Fierce Allegiance]

Phew, thanks, That could have been embarrassing.

[Sam the Sham]

Sounds like an urban legend to me.

Not if he were having dinner with a European.

[TheBigB]

BTW, your flie is open.

[Constitution Day]

Well, you dropped some of your lunch on your shirt!

:P

[Fierce Allegiance]

While reading your whole post, I swear I could hear the chamber music right up until worry about which freaking fork to use! where it abruptly changed to a Ted Nugent sound check.

[So Cal Rocket]

Which reminds me... can any FReepers from Australia tell me if this is true: Turning your glass upside down at the dinner table is a challenge to a fight to the person across the table from you.

I'm guessing Urban Legend, but just to be on the safe side, if I didn't want wine for dinner, I moved my wine glass far away from me, rather than turn it upside down.

[TheBigB]

DAMN! You get me with that one all the time, CD!

[Constitution Day]

I say. Do try to be more careful, old boy.

[CO Gal]

Jan Davis, new to Elant management, found herself practicing her handshake with some tips from the coach.

I've noticed that a lot of men have trouble shaking a woman's hand correctly. Please do not feel the need to shatter every bone in my hand with your vice-like, crushing grip, but don't handle my hand like it's a delicate rose petal either. (I'm sure neither applies to any male Freepers, so don't roast me!) :-)

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Dinner music is always welcome. Something from Jeff Beck, maybe.