Strange etiquette/grammar things your mom was a stickler for

[Anonymous]

Write thank-you card within 24 hours of receiving a gift.

This is she./I‘m doing well./May I be excused (from the table)?

Children don’t interrupt adults talking.

Never acknowledge what you weren’t intended to see/hear (someone gossiping about you, a guest burping, people kissing who shouldn’t).

Knock before entering a room.

Say good-morning to every family member.

My mom is a WASP, ama!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mr and Mrs no first names

Same. Also, when calling, I had to identify myself before requesting my friend. “Hello, this is Larla calling. May I please speak to Susie?”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Write thank-you card within 24 hours of receiving a gift.

This is she./I‘m doing well./May I be excused (from the table)?

Children don’t interrupt adults talking.

Never acknowledge what you weren’t intended to see/hear (someone gossiping about you, a guest burping, people kissing who shouldn’t).

Knock before entering a room.

Say good-morning to every family member.

My mom is a WASP, ama!

This is my mom too! But Taiwanese aymerican hmmmmm....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My mom did the can/may correction too! She was also a stickler for table manners, like napkin in lap, elbows off table, etc. She definitely stabbed me in the elbow with a fork more than once when I leaned my elbow on the dinner table.

She is also SUPER Catholic, and would make us: say three Hail Marys before any long car trip and pray to St. Christoper (patron saint of travelers); pray to St. Vincent (patron saint of lost articles) to help us find any missing items, like a lost jacket; bless ourselves anytime we passed a Catholic church; and say a prayer any time we heard an ambulance siren. Good times Mom!

My mom sprinkled our car with holy water, on top of the Hail Mary! I went to college an hour away, (lived on campus) and came home a lot. Every time I left to drive back to school, she'd come out with the little bottle of holy water. She gave me a little bottle and I kept it in my suitcase for decades (it's probably still in there in storage in my basement... I just have a different suitcase these days). I stopped going to church when I was 18, but I still like the superstition.

She's also big on burying St. Francis in the yard to sell a house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“This is she” on the phone.
Same on the “may/can” thing and “chickens lay but people lie” on lay/ lie
NEVER elbows on the table
The order in which you introduce people: “Mrs. Smith (older or higher ranking person), I would like to introduce Larla (younger or lower ranking person) to you. Larla, please meet Mrs. Smith.”
No calling people’s houses after 9pm
Thank you notes out the door within two days

I feel like everyone has completely forgotten this distinction. People "lay" around all the time and it drives me crazy!

Woah, the introduction rule gave me anxiety just reading it. I was not taught that and I have never noticed it before. Seems too stressful to always be thinking about who's higher ranking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My mom did the can/may correction too! She was also a stickler for table manners, like napkin in lap, elbows off table, etc. She definitely stabbed me in the elbow with a fork more than once when I leaned my elbow on the dinner table.

She is also SUPER Catholic, and would make us: say three Hail Marys before any long car trip and pray to St. Christoper (patron saint of travelers); pray to St. Vincent (patron saint of lost articles) to help us find any missing items, like a lost jacket; bless ourselves anytime we passed a Catholic church; and say a prayer any time we heard an ambulance siren. Good times Mom!

My mom sprinkled our car with holy water, on top of the Hail Mary! I went to college an hour away, (lived on campus) and came home a lot. Every time I left to drive back to school, she'd come out with the little bottle of holy water. She gave me a little bottle and I kept it in my suitcase for decades (it's probably still in there in storage in my basement... I just have a different suitcase these days). I stopped going to church when I was 18, but I still like the superstition.

She's also big on burying St. Francis in the yard to sell a house.

It was saint Joseph to sell the house. C'mon people, let's get these saints straight. Chris for travel, Tony for lost, Joe for houses (the carpenter) and Frank for PETS.

[Anonymous]

The only thing that sticks in my mind is she hated how we said draw' (for drawer)
and
shir' (for shirt)

I think I enunciate those words a little more intentionally now. Thanks mom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“This is she” on the phone.
Same on the “may/can” thing and “chickens lay but people lie” on lay/ lie
NEVER elbows on the table
The order in which you introduce people: “Mrs. Smith (older or higher ranking person), I would like to introduce Larla (younger or lower ranking person) to you. Larla, please meet Mrs. Smith.”
No calling people’s houses after 9pm
Thank you notes out the door within two days

I feel like everyone has completely forgotten this distinction. People "lay" around all the time and it drives me crazy!

Woah, the introduction rule gave me anxiety just reading it. I was not taught that and I have never noticed it before. Seems too stressful to always be thinking about who's higher ranking.

People don't do the courtesy of introductions at all today, so if you manage to politely introduce people, you are good! I always just initiate if I am not properly introduced. I hate the awkward -- I don't think we've met...

[Anonymous]

My mother didn't correct grammar so much, but she was a stickler about:

-no elbows on the table
-we had to be excused from dinner
-no interrupting
-immediate thank you notes
-thanking people profusely
-Emily Post

[Anonymous]

“irregardless”

[Anonymous]

The weirdest one was to correct me when I spoke about “making money”

She’d say that people at the mint/BEP and counterfeiters “make money.” Everyone else EARNS money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“I beg your pardon” instead of “what.”

Interesting that she wanted to make sure everyone knew you were lower class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“I beg your pardon” instead of “what.”

Interesting that she wanted to make sure everyone knew you were lower class.

I don't know anyone who says "I beg your pardon"-- what kind of class distinction is just asking someone to repeat themselves?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sir and Ma’am was drilled into my head. My first professional job interview asked me why I didn’t mention my military service
I’m in my 40’s now and still say ma’am/sir to anyone older than me.

This is very southern. It was one of my mom’s pet peeves. She loathed being called ma’am, it made her feel old so we were told never to use it.

[Anonymous]

This one is kind of cute...my mom made me call everyone Miss because calling them Ma'am might make them feel old. I remember being 6 or 7 and an old lady librarian burst out laughing because I said excuse me miss