C: GIVEAWAY!! Our First Ever! Join the Fun!

As promised in my last post, this is your chance to WIN!! If you read the previous post, you will see that I am intrigued by by-gone etiquette rules. I have two copies of this book, one dating from 1945 (for which you can all vie) and one from 1950. The questions I am asking below are from the 1950 book because I had not yet dug the other one out when I starting composing this one.

The topics we cover in this quiz seem foreign to me, and we think they will to most of you, since the classes are so mixed up these days. Emily, herself, notes this trend. You can almost hear her sniff as she says in her introduction on Page xii:

The smart and the near-smart...are all mixed up together. The walls that used to enclose the world that was fashionable are all down. Even the cartracks that divided cities into smart and not-smart sections are torn up.

And, I must say, V and I probably hail from the "not-smart" side of the tracks...sigh.

Okay, here are the rules (such as they are):
1. This is a self-graded test. We really don't care about your "score," what we want are your comments!! Go through the questions and see if you know the answers. Score yourself.

2. Go to the "comments" section, give us your "score." (If it's perfect, we will suspect that you have come to us from a time warp...and probably through a few social classes, if you're reading our blog).

3. In your comments, let us know what you thought interesting, what you got right and why (please, tell us that one), or some antecdote about your own etiquette (we especially love to hear about others' faux pas!)

4. Ten days from now (which would be September 2, Wednesday, we will choose a winner to be announced on Thursday, September 3. This will be while V and I are in the throes of etiquette, preparing for her son's wedding on the 5th.

5. Method of choosing a winner: Everyone's name goes into the squirrel cage, to be drawn by the "G People" (Grandparents: My mother and mother-in-law). BUT you can get extra chances! Help us build our readership and share the opportunity here by posting about our contest (let us know, please) for two extra chances. New followers get two extra, as well. The "G-People" will also award one extra point for each of the five comments they deem worthy (such as the ones that make them giggle).

V and I love this contest thing and (just a hint for the future), we've snagged and put away some neat stuff (the rest of it is new, mind you) for our future contests! The chance to build readership aside, we love the sharing idea!

So, here goes. Answers follow, below:

1. What is the proper custom for a man wearing a hat when he is introduced to or greets another person?

2. What verbal response do you give when you are introduced to a new person?

3. What are the differences between "balls" and "dances?"

4. What is the difference between the butler's dress and the gentleman's dress after 6 p.m.?

5. What is a P.P.C. card?

Now, in your head, hear the Jeopardy "thinking theme." I tried to insert the music, but did not have time to figure it out...too advanced for me.
:
Okay, get your red pencils out and score yourselves. Here are the answers:


1. A gentleman lifts or removes his hat when he greets someone with whom he is already acquainted. If it is a stranger, he "tips" his hat.


2. You ALWAYS say "How do you do?" in response to an introduction. Nothing else is acceptable. Emily says that to reply "Pleased to meet you" is the "tabu of all tabus" (her words).


By the way, "I beg your pardon" is also the ONLY acceptable; never, ever say "Pardon me," unless, of course, it is in French, in which case it is perfectly acceptable.



3. Dances are geared toward one age group, while balls include people of all ages and are, of course, more elaborate. Balls ALWAYS sport TWO orchestras (you can get by with one for a "dance") and a supper which must begin at 1 a.m. and end by 3 a.m.

Balls also include announcing at the door, ALWAYS a red carpet, and a valet/chauffeur to open the door of the cars as they pull up. There are many, many more differences, but you get the idea just in case you need to decide whether to throw a ball or a dance.

4. Until 6 p.m. the Butler wears a suit of black or very dark blue. After 6, he wears a dress suit differing from his employer in a few details only: no braid on trousers; the silk on his lapels is, of course, narrower; and he wears a black waistcoat (never use that vulgar term, "vest") and white lawn tie. A gentleman, of course, always wears a white waistcoat with white tie or white waistcoat and black tie with dinner coat, but NEVER the reverse. (By the way, only a "vulgarian" allows a butler with a mustache.).

5. A PPC is a visiting-card on which the initials PPC (the French: pour prendre conge—to take leave) are written in ink in the lower left corner. This is mailed and merely means that you are leaving town and is a sort of “good-bye.” No other message is needed. It was, at Emily’s writing, becoming acceptable to replace the PPC (French) with the English version initials of T.s.g.h. which means “To say good-by).

I had to restrain myself to keep this from getting pages long. I love this stuff. Can't wait to get your take on these and hear your own stories or interesting words on etiquette! BE SURE WE HAVE A WAY TO REACH YOU SO THAT WE CAN SHIP YOUR VERY OWN COPY IF YOU WIN!! (and yes, dear international readers, we WILL ship to you!) -C