Etiquette Quiz

Modern etiquette is the mindful, intentional practice of creating respectful, kind, and orderly interactions across all environments, from family gatherings to professional meetings to digital communications. (A Modern Definition of Etiquette, Candace Smith Etiquette, 2025)

I’ve had a nasty cold for what seems like most of November, so for this month’s newsletter I thought I’d make it easy for myself by sending you an etiquette quiz. These questions were inspired by a game of etiquette trivia produced by the Emily Post Institute, called Mind Your Manners. The game features 150 questions designed to test your etiquette knowledge. Answers appear at the bottom of the page.

You’ve just put the 250^th holiday card into the 250^th envelope with the card facing the address side, when you learn that the cards are supposed to face the envelope flap. What should you do?

A. Leave them facing the address side, since the mistake won’t hurt anyone.

B. Turn them all around, because rules are rules.

For a formal dinner party, what is the minimum number of courses you may serve?

A. Five

B. Three

C. There is no required minimum.

If you have houseguests, should you tell them that your Amazon Alexa personal assistant will also be present?

A. No – it’s up to them to ask.

B. Yes – it is an important hosting requirement.

When you set the table, forks go on the left side of the plate and spoons and knives go on the right. Are you required to change the sides for a left-handed diner?

A. No – the left-handed person should switch them in their hands when they pick them up.

B. Yes – you should make things as easy for your guests as possible.

At a formal dinner, what should be placed in an envelope addressed to each invited gentleman on the entry table outside the dining room?

A. A card giving the assigned table number for the gentleman and his date.

B. The name of the lady who will be seated on the gentleman’s right.

1. B – a card should always face the flap side of the envelope.

2. B – a soup or salad course, an entrée, and dessert are the minimum.

3. B – and you should also tell them about any active cameras and microphones.

4. A – the left-handed guest should not be singled out.

5. B – The gentleman should find the lady assigned to him in the drawing room and escort her to the table. (Lucinda’s note: At diplomatic or ultra-formal banquets, the traditional rule still tends to apply: couples—married or not—are separated to maximize mingling.)

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How did you do on the quiz? Drop me a line at Contact - Lucinda Gerlitz and let me know.

This month I participated in the Sisters in Crime November Marathon. The marathon is a program that allows you to set writing goals for the month, track your activities with a software program, and report your progress to the group, while receiving encouragement and support from fellow members. (For anyone who doesn’t know, Sisters in Crime is an organization that was founded in 1986 to promote the development of women crime writers. It now supports male authors as well, and I’ve been a member for many years.) With my cold, I’ve barely managed to meet my goal of writing a certain number of hours a day, but I have completed the first four chapters of my new cozy mystery.

I also took an interesting class on how to keep a “series bible.” One of the challenges of writing a series, now that I’m working on my third book, is remembering what has happened and how I’ve described things in previous books. For example, I don’t want to give Dorietta green eyes in book one and suddenly have her mentioning her blue eyes in book three, or have her house levitate and move to a different neighborhood between novels. So, series authors keep a ‘bible’ of the pertinent details for each character and location they use.

I’ve always kept detailed character information sheets, and my husband has created some nicely detailed maps of the fictional town of Pinewood, but it sounds like I need to be a little more organized in keeping track of everything—so that will be my New Year’s project.

I’m looking forward to having the whole family visit for Thanksgiving dinner, and then Christmas will be upon us. I’m planning to take December off from writing my newsletter, so I’ll be back in touch in January. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!

I love having my readers get in touch. You can drop me a private note anytime on my contact page at Contact – Lucinda Gerlitz.

For my usual animal picture, here is one of Izzie begging for a belly rub:

Happy Thanksgiving!