Sharing embarrassing stories in a toast
It’s a toast, not a roast, so if you’ve been honoured with the job of giving a toast at a wedding, birthday, or another honorary event then make sure what you’re saying is actually honouring the person, says etiquette expert Lisa Grotts. In other words? Save the hilarious story about their vomit-laden spring break for your friend group chat. “Keep the toast light and airy, avoid saying anything overly personal about the individual and keep it short, three minutes max,” she says.
While this is an important rule to follow, even etiquette experts don’t follow these anymore.
Sneezing into your hands
Sneezes can be unpredictable, giving you just seconds notice to figure out where to aim the spray. The default for many of us is to sneeze into our hands or, even worse, just sneeze into the air. Not only is that super gross but it’s unnecessary, says Grotts. Sneeze into your elbow or at the very least turn your head away from other people, she says, adding that if you feel multiple sneezes coming on, excuse yourself to the restroom.
Using your napkin to blow your nose
You have boogers. You have a napkin, a thing which is used to mop up bodily fluids, at your fingertips. So you blow your nose in your napkin, right? Wrong, Grotts says. Even though it’s fine to use your napkin to wipe drool, tears, or food off your face, polite society says no snot. If you have to blow your nose, head to the bathroom and use a tissue, she says.
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