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What's the most interesting traditional or formal politeness behaviour or table manners in your culture? Or for any service personnel, in your restaurant? (kbin.social)

submitted 7 months ago by Hegar@kbin.social to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

77 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I love all the ritualized behaviour, secret meanings and unexpected taboos - standing up when someone of higher status stands, elaborate rules for serving and eating, tapping the table to thank the server, never refuse a toast from a superior, stuff like that.

Whether it's about meals or anything else, I'd love to hear about any uncommon politeness standard or similar social behaviour that goes on in your location, culture or restaurant!

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[–] livus@kbin.social 15 points 7 months ago (2 children)

We don't have tipping culture but praising the meal to the waiter is considered polite at the end of the meal.

This only applies to the elderly generation but they tend to put "quite" at the start of any praise.

So, saying food is "quite good" is actually higher praise than "good". But to people not from here it sounds like the opposite.

[–] Carighan@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Over here, tips are usually only given to:

Round up (lots of cash payments still) and avoid small change.
Genuinely give a tip for an above-the-usual service. Which also means that in reverse, the default is no tips. Granted, people aren't being paid a slave wage here.

[–] livus@kbin.social 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

The rounding up would make sense.

I don't think I have paid cash in a restaurant here in this century. In this part of the world the debit card system took hold quite early.

[–] PatMustard 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

They say English isn't a tonal language but the way you pronounce the word "quite" can change it from being 'unexpectedly good' to 'barely passable'

[–] jlow@beehaw.org 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

"How's it goin?" "Not too bad!"

[–] PatMustard 2 points 7 months ago

"Not too bad..."