Why elbows on the dinner table is an etiquette no-no.
"Don't put your elbows on the table," is something most people living in the western world heard when they were growing up. There was never much explanation outside of it simply being rude, but who decided propping your elbows on the table while you ate is something to be frowned upon? It turns out there was actually a legitimate reason for this rule when it was first introduced according to an etiquette expert.
William Hanson, an etiquette coach, took some time to answer people's questions about etiquette rules forWIRED, and one of the very first questions is from a woman demanding to know why there's a rule about no elbows on the table. It's one of those rules that seems nonsensical even after reaching adulthood, but according to Hanson, the rule started with good reason.
Dish on white ceramic plate Photo by Jay Wennington on Unsplash
"The no elbows on the table rule goes back to the medieval times in Europe when they were eating from trestle tables. They would put these benches out with sheets of wood on top. If you put your elbows on the table, the table would tip and the food would go everywhere, and obviously that's not very good etiquette, and so it became the etiquette to not put your elbows on the table. We do really still abide by the no elbows on the table rule because I think it looks really ugly," Hanson explains.
The etiquette questions were wide ranging, with a couple of revelations that may be surprising for some, like the right way to stir your tea is not in a circle at all. According to Hanson, the proper way to stir tea is actually to gently move the teaspoon back and forth in the cup. For some reason moving the spoon back and forth instead of in a circle doesn't feel like you'd actually be stirring anything, but it looks more sophisticated than clanking the spoon in a circle.
Person holding white ceramic cup Photo by Etienne Boulanger on Unsplash
Later in the video, Hanson gives an informative lesson on how to properly eat peas. Those little green buggers can be annoying with their tendency to roll off of your utensil. Of course, a lot of people put the fork down to swap it out for a spoon when there are peas involved to make things easier, but Hanson shares that there's actually a proper way to eat peas that doesn't involve spoons or chasing them as they roll out of your dining room.
"What we don't do is scoop like this," Hanson says while demonstrating a scooping motion. "In really casual dining that might be permissible but in more formal dining we're going to be using both the fork and the knife. Some people do this," he says while using the knife to scoop peas on his fork. "I think this is more difficult to keep those peas balanced. You see, there we go. One's gone. It's much better to just spear them onto the tines of your fork and eat like so."
One etiquette rule that may surprise quite a few Americans is that clinking your glasses together when offering a cheers is not proper. Hanson explains that "in formal dining, you're drinking from fine glassware that's expensively made and if you do start smashing your glasses together, you're going to hear the clink of glass all over the floor, and that'll somewhat ruin the meal."
people holding clear glass bottles during daytime Photo by Quan Nguyen on Unsplash
Hanson then takes time to debunk a viral infographic attempting to demonstrate how to place your silverware to inform the servers what you think of the meal and if you're ready for the next course. He seems to have pretty strong feelings about this misinformation calling it "a bunch of rubbish."
"The only positions you put your cutlery in when they're not being held in your hand is to indicate that you are resting or if you are finished," Hanson says before laying the tines of the fork across the butter knife on his plate to demonstrate the resting position. He then shows that when you're finished with the food you are to put your fork and knife parallel on your plate, which could also be angled slightly, depending on what part of the world you're in. In France the same position applies but the fork is turned over, meaning the tip of tines are on the plate. This indicates you're finished with your meal to the serving staff without them having to ask.
Another helpful etiquette tip is that, according to Hanson, the only appropriate time to interrupt someone is if they're on fire and they haven't discovered it on their own. But he reminds people that "a conversation is meant to be like a game of tennis. You're not meant to hold the ball and never let it go."
An intelligent man's thought process.
Kids showing kindness through sharing. 
black and white short coated medium sized dog lying on green grass during daytime Photo by 
Man shares a joyful moment with his dog in a sunny field.
It may not be quite this obvious, but Americans do stand out.
Americans slouch and lean.
Americans love huge water bottles.
Americans love tons of ice in their drinks.
Americans value ultra-white teeth.
Americans wear hats... everywhere.
Americans' default volume is loud.
A "girl gang" in 1976. via 
GIrls in class in the 1960s.via