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Radio

Don't tell them but the French didn't in fact invent etiquette

30 March 2024

9:00 AM

30 March 2024

9:00 AM

The Forum: Etiquette

BBC World Service

Good Friday Meditation

BBC Radio 4

When dining in France, it is considered rude to finish the bread before the main course has been served, and ruder still to slice the bread with a knife, lest the crumbs land in a lady’s décolletage. In China, you should never place your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice, and in Bangladesh you may eat with your fingers, but should avoid getting sauce above the knuckles.

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