Who is the greatest British writer of all time? According to a 2022 poll of 2,000 Brits, the answer is Jane Austen. While we may debate the correctness of this poll’s conclusion (William Shakespeare, anyone?), what’s beyond question is that Jane Austen remains remarkably popular with British and American readers alike–even 200 years after her…
Manners and Miss Austen: What Jane Austen’s Novels Can Teach Us About the Importance of Custom and Courtesy
To Speak, or Not to Speak: A Gentleman’s Rules for Holding the Tongue From an 1890s Manual on Manners
The Crimes of the Tongue THE second most deadly instrument of destruction is the dynamite gun,—the first is the human tongue. The gun merely kills bodies; the tongue kills reputations and, ofttimes, ruins characters. Each gun works alone; each loaded tongue has a hundred accomplices. The havoc of the gun is visible at once. The…
8 Rules of Business Etiquette for the Gentleman From a Manners Manual of the 1880s
Business. [1.] FORM GOOD HABITS. It is important for the young man learning business, or just getting a start in business, to form correct habits, and especially of forming the habit of being polite to all with whom he has business relations, showing the same courteous treatment to men or women, poorly or plainly dressed,…
A Gentleman’s Rules for Cultivating Moral Values in the Home—From an 1880s Manual on Manners
Home Culture. The work of home culture should be made a matter of great importance to every one, for upon it depends the happiness of earthly homes, as well as our fitness for the enjoyment of the eternal home in heaven. The sufferings endured here, friend for friend, parents for children, unrequited sacrifices, cares and…
Public Etiquette
It’s easy to get caught up in our own little world, but even still, we need to spend time out in public. Whether we’re shopping for groceries, walking the dog, or traveling, proper behavior is a must. Manners on the Menu While you may be sitting at your own table in a restaurant, there will…
A Gentleman’s Rules for Raising Kids With Morals, Based on a Handbook From the 1880s
OUR earliest and best recollections are associated with home. There the first lessons of infancy are learned. The mother’s heart is the child’s first school-room. The parents’ examples are first imitated by the child, whose earliest impressions are gained from them. In no way are evil habits more effectually propagated than by example, and therefore…
Rules for How to Be a ‘Gentleman’ From an 1875 Guidebook, the Final Chapter: Miscellaneous
Here is an excerpt from “The Gentlemen’s Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness” by Cecil B. Hartley, published by Locke & Bubier in 1875. MISCELLANEOUS. WHEN you are walking with a lady who has your arm, be careful to keep step with her, and do not force her to take long, unladylike steps, or trot beside you with two steps to one…
How to Be a Gentleman: A Politeness Handbook From 1875 Explains What ‘True Courtesy’ Really Is All About
TRUE COURTESY. POLITENESS is the art of pleasing. It is to the deportment what the finer touches of the pencil are to the picture, or what harmony is to music. In the formation of character, it is indispensably requisite. “We are all,” says Locke, “a kind of chameleons, that take a tincture from the objects…
50 (More) Tips for Cultivating Gentlemanly Manners From an Etiquette Handbook From the 1800s
The following excerpt from “The Gentlemen’s Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness” by Cecil B. Hartley, published by Locke & Bubier in 1875, concludes the chapter, “Hints for Gentlemanly Deportment,” from our previous installment. [FIFTY MORE] HINTS FOR GENTLEMANLY DEPORTMENT [CONTINUED]. Never offer to shake hands with a lady; she will, if she wishes…
Opera Etiquette
You don’t need to be a full-fledged devotee of the arts to enjoy an opera, with many communities offering performances geared toward the entire family. For those new to the opera, here are a few etiquette tips. Budget-Friendly Tickets Afternoon matinees are a great way to enjoy an opera when an evening performance isn’t convenient…
US News
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