Bodenheim etiquette of the day: Diner courtesy circa 1930

February 24, 2010

Shovelling the food without intermission and with the nose two inches from the plate was permissible. Drinking soup from the bowl--an equal shudder to dear Mrs. Post--would have brought the plaster down. If a woman was alone and occupied one of the stools beside the counter, she was treated familiarly. If she seated herself at one of the white-slabbed tables, extending vertically to the left of the counter, she was not molested. If a man cursed, or used the common notion of smut, in the proximity of women, he was reprimanded. If he persisted, he was thrown out on his ear. On the other hand, profanities and alleged dirt were roborant signs of manhood...when "ladies" were absent. In this regard it did not matter whether the woman was a well-known harridan, baggage, or spotless housewife. The rule went in all cases.

(From Naked on Roller Skates by Maxwell Bodenheim)