Pitt, William, 366
Pitt—Rivers, Julian, 161
Place, at table, 161, 184, 233–34
Place cards, 141; mats, 177; plates, 187, 233
Place settings, 126, 206, 231, 233, 239, 241, 254
Plateau, 292
Plates, 44, 105, 144, 164, 204–5, 213–14, 219, 233–43, 265, 302, 312, 322, 324, 338–39, 349, 387, 395. See also Bowls; Side plate
Plato, 130, 294, 372
Playing with food, 196–98
Plutarch, 101, 174, 279, 294, 307
Pointing, 112, 209
Poison, 94, 111, 151, 158, 310–11. See also Tasting for poison
Politeness, rules governing, 5, 9, 46–47, 82–84, 88, 110, 134, 142, 143, 146, 152, 163, 190–92, 206–7, 217–18, 228, 244–46, 248–50, 253, 300, 302, 331, 341–42, 369–70, 376–97
Pollution, ritual, 55, 106, 126, 129, 193–94, 254, 277, 312, 322, 324, 331, 333–47; physical, chemical, 126, 129, 395. See also Cleanliness; Purity
Pork, 42, 99, 115, 268
Porridge, 57, 93–94, 184–85, 196, 218, 248, 312, 346. See also Fufuu
Port, 135, 313–14
Porter, Cole, 105
Portions, separate, 163, 202, 204, 226, 228–30, 233, 262–63, 287, 294–95, 349
Portuguese, 127, 143–44, 145, 167, 271, 281
Post, Elizabeth, 76
Post, Emily, 87–89, 95, 103, 122–23, 131, 132, 146, 148, 149, 152–53, 163, 187, 200, 208, 215–16, 228, 234, 270, 302, 314, 315, 316, 320, 349, 367, 369 386–88
Posture, 69, 170–73, 363–70
“Pot luck,” 97, 101
Potatoes, 10, 28, 200. See French fries
Poubelle de table. See Voider
Pouring drinks, 152, 163–64, 248, 252, 276–83, 311
Powdermaker, Hortense, 34
Praising the utensils, 242–44; the food, 243–45
Precedence, 58–59, 109, 120, 124, 136–53, 271, 280, 322
Predictability, 25, 29–31, 106, 363–67, 378, 383–85
Privacy, 92, 135, 154, 164–65
Procession into the dining room, 141, 156–57, 252, 263; out of the dining room, 322
Prometheus, 42
Pronouns, 379, 389
Prophetic moments during meals, 319. See Oaths
Protocol, 136, 140–41, 145
Proust, Marcel, 37, 141, 270, 328
Prynne, William, 292
Ptah-Hotep, 72
Pudding, 38, 218
Punctuality, 133
Purity, 20–21, 106, 130, 193, 276, 325, 337, 350, 394. See also Cleanliness; Pollution
Pyramids, 113, 181–82
R
Rabelais, François, 35, 331
Radishes, 194, 200
Read, Margaret, 60
Reading, 248, 296
Receiving objects passed, 59, 202
Reception. See Cocktail Party
Reconciliation, 34, 100
Refusing food and drink, 110, 247, 251, 252, 282; invitations, 115–19, 130
Relishes, 56
Rembrandt, 124
Removes, 223
Repetition, 26, 29, 96
Replying to an invitation, 122–25
Restaurants, 5, 52, 99, 131, 156, 161–62, 174–75, 177, 180, 221, 225, 233, 246, 270, 277–78, 281, 296, 325, 328, 357, 367–68, 377, 382–85, 393
Rests, Knife- and Fork-, 241
Rhodes, Hugh, 161–62, 361, 371, 373
Rice, 197, 201–6, 243, 246, 250, 281–82, 322, 337, 346, 360
Richards, Audrey, 59
Richelieu, Cardinal, 210
Rinsing the mouth, 321, 322, 338, 362, 363
Ritual, 13 16, 23–34, 38–44, 100, 107–9, 119, 126–28, 130, 132, 134–36, 140, 143–44, 152–53, 163, 180, 197, 221, 234, 242, 251, 262, 270, 315, 378, 383
de la Rochefoucauld–Liancourt, F., 362
Rodrigues, Fr. João, 201
Roland “le Pettour,” 126
Romanians, 327
Romans, ancient, 48, 72, 104–6, 112, 119–20, 130–33, 156, 160–61, 172, 176, 184, 187, 189, 192, 212, 221, 222, 235, 252, 253, 268, 274–75, 280, 291–92, 294, 319, 355, 374
Rose, Giles, 186, 263, 268
de Rothschild, Madame la Baronne, 240
Rudofsky, Bernard, 242
The Rules and Orders of the Coffee House, 140, 301
Russell, John, 152, 165, 266, 358, 359, 369, 370–71, 373
Russians, 162, 226–27, 287, 289, 324
Rwala Bedouin, 238
S
Sacrifice, 14, 40–44, 99, 160–61, 260–62, 270
de Sahagun, Fray Bernardino, 15
Saké, 160–61, 280–81
Saliva, 339–40, 345, 347–48, 355. See also Spitting
Salt, 29, 100, 178, 200, 247, 265, 266
Salt cellar, “salt,” 139, 178, 200, 222, 238, 239, 333–34
Sanap, 67
“Sand” gardens, 183
Sandwiches, 88
Sauce, 190, 198, 213, 230, 237–38, 246, 266, 271
Saucer, 190, 220
Sausages, 341–42
Saving the best for last, 197, 319
Saxons, 280, 286–88
Scandinavians, 95, 288, 292, 322. See also Danes; Norwegians
Scappi, Bartolomeo, 213, 225
Schieffelin, Bambi, 56
Schnapps, 284–85
Scots, 57, 65, 315–16
Scratching, 75, 369–70
Scythians, 280
Seal, eating, 257–58
Seating, 135–54
Second helpings, 228, 250–52
Seder, 43, 123
Seneca, 374
Servants, 72, 94, 103, 120, 125–27, 131, 147, 151–52, 157, 163, 170–71, 173, 176, 184–85, 189, 192, 221, 225–28, 231, 235, 263, 266–67, 269–70, 283, 285, 301, 309–10, 313, 326–27, 349, 354, 356, 358–59, 386–92. See also Waiters; Footmen; Butler; Carving; Tasting; Panter
Serving-dishes, 223–25, 228, 234, 240, 377
Serving food, drink, 143, 149–51, 202, 207–8, 213, 226–27, 248, 304–7, 311, 377. See also Servants
de Sévigné, Madame M., 182, 296
Shakespeare, William, 10, 123, 361–62
Shame, 70, 92, 265, 267–68
Shankman, Paul, 1622
Sharing food, 6–7, 14–16, 28, 61–63, 92–102, 134–36, 150, 188–89, 202, 234, 256–71; vessels, dishes, implements, 68–69, 75, 169, 184–85, 195–96, 199, 202, 207, 213–14, 219, 233–34, 243, 275–77, 279, 286–87, 354
Shellfish, 213
Sherpas, 101, 115, 148, 251, 253, 294–95
Sherry, 282
Shish–kebabs, 260
Shoes, 126, 129–31, 171–72, 173, 320, 329, 381. See also Feet
Shouting, 55–56, 280, 301
Side plate, 187, 220, 234, 240–41
Side table. See Credenza
Sighing, 244, 360–61, 373
Sihk puhn, 233–34
Silence during meals, 2 56–57, 63, 101, 115, 120–21, 162, 277, 295–98, 344
Silver, 182–83, 207–8, 214, 386–88
Simond, Louis, 362–63, 374
Singing at meals, 169, 274–75, 277, 296, 370–71
Sipping, 339
Skulls, 266–67, 292–93
Slametan. See Javanese
Sleeping, 174, 323, 324
Sliding food, 250
Slime, 346, 350
Slouching, 367
Slurping, 244, 361, 394
Smacking lips, 2, 360–61
Smashing, 5, 26, 113, 289, 340
Smelling, 94, 247, 314–15
Smiling, 365–66
Smoking, 87–88, 243, 313–18, 341, 357
Snacks, 179
Snails, 346
Sneezing, 274–75, 372
Socrates, 130, 285
Soft-drinks, 54, 323
Sorcery, 115, 274–75
Sotelties, 224–26
Soup, 61, 84, 93–94, 103, 122–23, 160–61, 204–5, 214, 219, 222–25, 229–30, 234, 239, 246–48, 265, 271, 282, 359–
60, 367–68; soup spoon, 219
Soyer, Alexis, 303
Spaghetti, 23–24, 209, 333
Spanish, 11, 127, 161–62, 213, 287–88, 303, 320, 324
Specialization of rooms, furniture, utensils, 239–40, 354
Speeches, 115, 161–62, 296
Speed, 115, 195, 201–2, 214, 228, 233, 234, 295, 360–61, 383, 392–94
Spikes, 213
Spilling, 55–56, 185, 197, 199, 204–6, 231, 281, 284, 288, 332–34
Spitting, 68, 355–57, 362, 369–70; spitting out food, 199, 349, 352–53; spittoons 357
Spoons, 84, 200–6, 213, 215–20, 234–39, 240, 242, 246, 250, 312, 320, 350, 354; serving spoons, 249–50, 349–50. See also Ladle
Sprezzatura, 82
Squatting, 234
Staden, Hans, 12, 19
Staffe, La Baronne, 118, 245, 246, 316, 317
Standing up, 56–57, 149–50, 160, 166–68, 171–72, 274–75, 285, 313, 322, 368–69, 381–82
Stans puer ad mensam, 72, 366, 371
Staring, 55–56, 269, 274–75, 365, 394
Stein, Gertrude, 309–10
Stew, 259
Stillness, 366–67, 369–70
Stools, 57, 120, 149, 307
Stooping, 366–67
Strangers, manners towards, 62–63, 104–5, 106–7, 110–11, 115–17, 161–62, 294, 337
Straws, drinking-, 15, 271, 274–75, 331–32
Stretching, reaching, 203–4, 368–69
Struwwelpeter, 61, 76
Sturgeon, 252
Sucking, 48, 244–45, 271, 274–75, 331–32
Sumerians, 271
Supper, 30, 179–80, 227–28, 239
Surtouts, 181–83
Swallowing, 239, 361
Sweet tooth, 266–67
Swift, Jonathan, 75
Symposium, 102, 132, 273, 294, 296, 305
Synthesis, 130
T
Tablecloths, 44, 88, 168, 176–77, 186, 200, 223, 231, 240–41, 303, 313, 353, 361–62, 363
Tables, 58–60, 62–65, 93–95, 101–2, 114, 139, 147–49, 165–72, 173, 177, 184, 188, 199, 202, 218, 222, 223, 225, 227, 231, 233–34, 236–38, 262, 271, 298, 301, 303, 313–14, 349, 355, 383, 386. See also High table
Taboos, 4, 9, 11, 20–21, 43, 54, 60, 68–69, 75, 77, 92, 106, 109, 192–94, 196, 209–10, 305, 347–48, 354, 378
Talking, 2, 57–58, 63, 68, 84–85, 121, 146, 150–51, 184, 221, 231, 274–75, 277–79, 292–303, 306, 314, 324, 341, 343–44, 358–59, 368–69, 370–71, 375, 381–82
Tallement des Réaux, 210
Tallensi, 150
Talleyrand-Périgord, Charles Maurice de, 252, 271
Tamils, 143
Tanga, 116, 329–30, 372
Tannhäuser, 73
Tapping a glass, 288, 322. See also Attention, drawing to oneself
Taste, good, 82, 86–87, 242, 332
Tastes, from someone else’s plate, 233–34, 253–54
Tasting for poison, 151–52, 157–60, 263, 273, 277, 286, 310–11
Tea, 26, 54, 100, 130, 192, 219, 232, 242, 244, 248, 252, 279, 282, 310–11, 315–16, 323
Teaspoons, 66, 111, 219, 244
Teeth, manners concerning, 106, 195, 349, 361, 362, 365–66, 369–70. See also Toothpicks
Telephone, 117, 329
Television, eating while watching, 65, 240, 296
Temperature of food, drink, 133, 196–97. See also Hot food
Tendret, Lucien, 101–2
Thanking, 57–58, 274–75, 280, 281, 322, 329, 372. See also Grace; Eucharist
Theatricality, 85–86, 114, 120, 123, 147, 224–25, 228, 263–66
Theoxenia, 107
Thomas, L-V., 92
Thracians, 280
Threshold, rituals of the, 107–8, 124–26, 133, 156–57, 329
Thrive-bit, 318–19
Throwing food and drink, 103, 112–13, 116, 197, 253, 279
Timing, 178–80. See also Punctuality
Toast, 209, 288, 291–92
Toasting, 66, 113, 218, 281, 286–92, 315–16, 321
Tobacco, 160–61, 276, 357. See also Smoking; Spitting
Tongue, eating, 54
Tongue, manners relating to the, 196, 351, 353, 355
Toothpicks, 112, 210, 225, 360–61
Tossing food into the mouth, 198, 340
Touaregs, 258
Tradition, 37–38
Trays, 231, 238–39
Trenchers, 213, 237–38, of wood or metal, 213–14, 238–39
Triclinium, 121, 173
Trollope, Mrs. Frances, 86–87
Truffles, 38, 360
Trusler, John, 266–68, 292, 327
Tumbler, 284
Tupinamba, 17
Turkeys, 269–70
Turks, 128
Turning the table, 146
Turtle, 223–24
Twain, Mark, 47
U
Undercloth, 88, 168
United Arab Emirates, inhabitants of the, 128–29, 132, 309–10, 325
Urging others to eat, 248, 250–52
Urinating, 371, 374–75
V
Varro, 121
Vegetables, 40, 42, 202, 207, 230, 259
Vegetarians, 44, 121, 230, 231, 259, 341–42
Venison, 266
Vergil, 235–36
Vermouth, 134–35
Victoria, Queen, 164
Vietnamese, 284
Violence during dinner, 4, 8–9, 15–16, 41, 106, 111–13, 144, 176, 196, 202–4, 206–7, 209–11, 217–18, 260, 261, 273–76, 280–81, 286, 291–92, 300, 301, 341, 361, 378. See also Death
Voider, 349
Vomiting, 77, 281, 344, 374
Voydee. See Banquet
W
Waiters, 131, 162, 260, 269, 270, 271–72, 273, 276, 278. See also Servants
Waiting before eating, drinking, 152, 156–65, 196–97, 359
Walnuts, 85
Wamirans, 92
Ward, Ned, 195, 328
Washing, 25, 27, 28, 29, 44, 120, 129, 130, 132, 157, 177, 185, 189, 193, 225, 279, 321, 322, 338, 355
Washing up, washing the dishes, 257, 324, 338, 386. See also Clearing
Washington, George, 140, 360–61, 371–72
Wassail, 285–86
Wasting food, 61, 204–5
Water, 159, 219, 338–39, 345; initiatory offering of, 125–27; for mixing with wine, 273, 277–83, 310–11; “mineral,” bottled, 135–36, 278–80, 323; in caste rules, 336–37. See also Washing
Watson, James, 233
Weaning, 48, 61, 347–48
Wedding cake, 38–40, 101
Weddings, 25, 29, 101, 106, 125, 129–30, 156–57, 286, 336. See also Marriage; Wedding cake
Welsh, 218
West, Mae, 25
Whiffen, T., 196
Whiskey, 135
White, 176, 187–89, 193
Widdowson, John, 60
Wilde, Oscar, 114
Wine, 42, 44, 112–13, 126–28, 134–36, 151, 160–62, 166–67, 219, 231, 234, 272–73, 276–82, 285–93, 311, 321–22
Winnebago Indians, 307
Wiping spoons, cups, knives, straws, 213, 250, 274–75, 354, 358. See Napkins
Wittgenstein, Ludwig, 51–52
Women, 8, 20–22, 82–83, 94, 103, 111, 115, 120–24, 126, 130–31, 141, 143, 146, 148, 149, 150, 151, 161, 162, 165, 170–73, 194, 207, 247, 257, 268, 270, 274–77, 280, 281–83, 290–91, 302–18, 324, 338, 339, 357, 375, 389–91
de Worde, Wynkyn, 266
Wortley Montagu, Lady Mary, 291–92, 313
Wreaths, 42, 107, 132, 156–57, 273. See also Hats
X
Xenophon, 40, 253, 293–94, 356
Y
Yao, 119
Yawning, 320, 358–59
Yeast, 42, 272
Yoruba, 134–35
Yugoslavia, 320
Z
Zeus, 42, 106, 108, 111
Acknowledgements
My thanks are first of all to Coli
n, who helped me to realize, before I finished my last book, what this one would need to be about. His support and guidance throughout have, as always, been of inestimable value to me. My children taught me most about the subject, in the course of their “learning to behave.” Among the many friends who have given me ideas, suggested avenues of research, and often made me change my mind, I must especially thank the following, who read the manuscript and helped reduce the number of errors in it: my daughter Emily, Emmet Robbins, Barbara Moon, Jacqueline d’Amboise, and Pat Kennedy. Casey Rock was an ingenious research assistant in the early phases. In France, my work was greatly facilitated by the advice and practical help of the Reverend Louis Bareille and of Mme. Françoise Merlet. Most of the reading was done at Cambridge University and in the Robarts Library at the University of Toronto, with its excellent Inter-Library Loans Service. The staff of the Robarts Library in particular have been unfailingly helpful; I could never have completed the research without them. I would like to thank my editors, Walt Bode, Barbara Berson, and Ann Adelman; and my agents, Susan Petersiel and Ursula Bollini of M.G.A. I am especially grateful to Nancy Colbert of HarperCollins, who nursed the project along with patience and enthusiasm from the beginning.
About the Author
Margaret Visser writes on the history, anthropology, and mythology of everyday life. Her most recent book is The Gift of Thanks. Her previous works, Much Depends on Dinner, The Rituals of Dinner, The Way We Are, and The Geometry of Love, have all been bestsellers and have won major international awards, including the 1989 Glenfiddich Award for Food Book of the Year in Britain and the International Association of Culinary Professionals’ Literary Food Writing Award and Jane Grigson Award. In 2002, Visser gave the Massey Lectures on CBC Radio, subsequently published as the bestselling book Beyond Fate.
Visser’s works have been translated into French, German, Dutch, Chinese, Italian, and Portuguese. She appears frequently on radio and television and has lectured extensively in Canada, the United States, Europe, and Australia. She divides her time between Toronto, Paris, and southwest France.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
“It Ain’t Etiquette” by Cole Porter, copyright © 1965 by Chappell & Co. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Copyright © 1991 by Margaret Visser
Cover design by Andy Ross
ISBN: 978-1-5040-1169-3
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The Rituals of Dinner Page 52