Wicked Etiquette: Over 700 Faux Pas to Avoid in Bed and Out

by Sarah Korum

Move over, Miss Manners! This collection of the most irate, emphatic, and amusing condemnations of impropriety from the past 700 years supplies indispensable nuggets of advice for almost everyone. Dieters and gluttons, waiters and wallflowers, athletes and musicians, lawyers and dogs--all can benefit from these pearls of wisdom, culled from etiquette books since the 14th century. Consider, for example, this suggestion from 1883: "Get rid at once of offensive teeth, remembering that an empty house is better than a bad tenant." With witty drawings complementing the helpful hints, this tongue-in-cheek guide to the best of bad behavior is as useful today as when the rules were written. Ideal for lovers of time travel who want to luxuriate in bygone eras of carriage rides and shooting parties, it also makes the perfect gift for that special someone who needs a push in the right direction. Because good manners never go out of style.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2000

Reviews

[Eva St. Clair · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome. It gleans all the most outrageous, wacky, and quaint advice from etiquette books from the last two hundred years, though the majority of the quotations come from the late 19th century. It's really interesting to imagine what society must have been like with people restricting their behaviour so much - the conversation had to be kept light and airy yet not gossipy. They weren't supposed to talk about politics or religion, or pretty much anything that could even come close to offending anyone's dainty sensibilities. Women fainted when they heard the word "leg", even when describing that of a turkey, or as the first part of the word legacy.

[Barbara Bradley · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book's title is very intriguing but it is a total misrepresentation of the content. Certainly, the discussion on proposal, relationship and marriage faux pas is very humorous but it falls flat. The work is very short for what it boasts and overall it does not leave a lasting impression.