[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by exlurker

Yes! I went to college knowing the basics of "American" (thanks, Mom and Dad), and I was grateful for the opportunitiy to learn "Continental." Having the options has helped me blend in with the style that others are following at dinner parties.

Observing the difference can be interesting even when watching TV. The various Wolf productions -- Law & Order SVU, Law & Order, and so on, sometimes make subtle points about socioeconomic class via table manners, for instance. The attorneys, by and large, in restaurant scenes, seem to use Continental, while beat cops in diners and neighborhod restaurants more often go "American," I think. A similar distinction seems to hold for rising when a lady arrives at or leaves a table.

I've never caught onto that, but now that you mention it, that's so true.