Table manners are the rules of etiquette used while eating, which may also include the appropriate use of utensils. Different cultures observe different rules for table manners. Each family or group sets its own standards for how strictly these rules are to be enforced.
The fork is held with the left hand and the knife held with the right. The fork is held generally with the tines down, using the knife to cut food or help guide food on to the fork.When eating soup, the spoon is held in the right hand and the bowl tipped away from the diner, scooping the soup in outward movements. The soup spoon should never be put into the mouth, and soup should be sipped from the side of the spoon.The knife must never enter the mouth or be licked.Food should always be chewed with the mouth closed.Talking with food in one's mouth is seen as very rude. Licking one's fingers and eating slowly can also be considered impolite.
On formal dining occasions, it is acceptable to take some butter from the butter dish with a bread knife and put it onto a side plate, to later butter pieces of bread roll. This prevents the butter in the dish from gathering bread crumbs as it is passed around. Knives should be used to butter bread rolls but not to cut them, and they should instead be torn with the hands.
Only white wine or rosé is held by the stem of the glass; red by the bowl.[citation needed] Pouring one's own drink when eating with other people is acceptable, but it is more polite to offer to pour drinks to the people sitting on either side.
It is impolite to reach over someone to pick up food or other items. Diners should always ask for items to be passed along the table to them. In the same vein, diners should pass those items directly to the person who asked. It is also rude to slurp food, eat noisily or make noise with cutlery.
When one has finished eating, this should be communicated to other diners and waiting staff by placing the knife and fork together on the plate, at approximately 4 o'clock position, with the fork placed lower than the knife, and its tines facing upwards. Napkins should be placed unfolded on the table when the meal is finished.
At family meals, children are often expected to ask permission to leave the table at the end of the meal.
Should a mobile telephone (or any other modern device) ring or if a text message is received, the diner should ignore the call. In exceptional cases where the diner feels the call may be of an urgent nature, he should ask to be excused, leave the room and take the call (or read the text message) out of earshot of the other diners.
Placing a phone or other devices like keys on the dinner table is considered rude.