The Perfect Gentleman Issue 2 - April 2016 | Page 46

International Gentleman

Etiquette in USA
A Quick Guide
By Ruairidh Bulger

The United States of America is a country that
was founded on the principal of individual
freedoms, and when combined with the size of
the country, it leads to a nation where there is
a huge scope of sub-cultures that can be found.
It makes it difficult to identify the etiquette of
the whole country, as these sub-cultures can
have very different values and belief
structures.
One principal that holds true across most of
the U.S., however, is the value of time. The US
are particularly time sensitive. They value
time as a scarce resource, and as such value
punctuality and efficiency in all their
appointments and meetings, whether they are
professional or social. This is particularly
important in business where success is
measured by productivity, so time is literally
money, and wasting time is, by extension,
wasting money.
Americans are generally informal even on
initial introductions. Handshakes when given,
are firm, with a strong grip. It is also not
unusual in the US to expect a second hand to
re-enforce the shake, either on top of the first
hand, on the wrist, upper arm or shoulder.
Direct eye contact is important in the US, as
avoiding it can be taken as a sign of weakness,
or insincerity, not only when shaking hands,
but also when talking, even about trivial issues.

46

Smiling is really important in the US. People
want to come across as warm and friendly, and
almost everyone will smile at you. It is
expected that you will return their smiles.
When dining in the U.S, the way that we use
our cutlery in Eorupe is referred to as the
'Continental style'. This is still seen as
acceptable, but there is also another style,
which is only used in the U.S. This is often
called the 'zigzag method'.
The diner will start with the fork in the left
hand, and with the knife in the right hand,
exactly as is done in the Continental style, but
the diner will start to cut up the food. They
may cut up all of the food into bite sized
pieces, or might only cut up enough for a few
mouthfuls (which is a little more dignified).
The would then rest the knife on the side of
the plate, and switch the fork to the left hand,
and use the fork to them bring the pre-cut
food to the mouth.
If necessary, the diner would then repeat the
cutting, and eating stages until the meal is
finished, switching the fork back and forwards
between the left and right hands as they do so,
creating the 'zigzag' that is suggested by the
name.