1950's Etiquette from Emily Post

My dad and I have a mutual bond: geeky humor. He picked up a copy of Etiquette by Emily Post at a yard sale and we've had fun thumbing through it. While the values hidden in these now humorous cautions are worth considering, times have drastically changed. So just for fun...

Hospitality at College: When Wrong Clothes Spell Failure

If the college should happen to be in a warm climate, naturally foulard dresses or cotton prints would take the place of the warm woolens. But at a college that is, let's say, snow-bound for many months, it is important that the clothes be warm and that heavy gloves, low-heeled shoes, and galoshes be included. Nothing could be more unappealing to a boy that a girl in such unsuitable clothes that she can take no part in any outdoor sports. High-heeled evening slippers in which to walk on frozen snow, and thin fluffy clothes when the thermometer is zero, will not impress any boy as alluring, but will make him wish he hadn't handicapped himself with such a nuisance.

A Few don'ts for Debutantes

Don't think that because you have a pretty face, you need neither brains nor manners. Don't think that you can be rude to anyone and escape being disliked for it. Whispering and giggling are always rude. Everything that shows lack of courtesy toward others is rude.


If you would be thought likable, don't nudge or paw or finger people. Don't hold hands or walk-arm-about-waist in public. Don't allow anyone to paw you. Petting is cheap--and pawing common. Don't hang on anyone for support, unless necessary! Don't walk across a ballroom floor swinging your arms. Don't talk or laugh loudly enough to attract attention, and on no account force yourself to laugh. Nothing is flatter than laughter that is lacking in mirth. If you laugh only because there is something irresistibly funny, the chances are that your laugh will be irresistible too. In the same way, a smile should be spontaneous, because you feel happy, and pleasant. Nothing has less allure than a mechanical grimace, as though you were trying to imitate a toothpaste advertisement. 


Say that to a roomful of today's teens. Hehe. Wait, do I hear crickets chirping?