Manners Maketh Man Trivia Quiz

Answer: Waving

If you want to insult someone in Greece, hold up your hand with your palm facing towards them with your fingers spread. This gesture is known as a 'moutza', and a double moutza involves using both hands, with one palm pressed against the back of the other hand. Because waving at people generally involves pointing your palm outwards, it can come across as rude in Greece.

Answer: Take a small spoonful and wait until everyone else had had a piece

Cultural clashes between Chinese and American norms are a huge part of the book and Rich, Waverly's fiancé, commits several faux pas in this scene. He also refuses second helpings (it is polite to have several small helpings), spills his food on his lap, and pours soy sauce on a pork dish when Waverly's mother makes self-deprecating comments about it.

The polite thing to do would be to make a point of eating the dish and talking about how delicious it is. Other things that are considered bad table manners in China include playing with your chopsticks, and insisting on paying for a meal instead of your host (though it is considered polite to protest that you don't mind paying).

Answer: Orthodox Jews

This practice is known as shomer negiah ('negiah' is Hebrew for 'touch'). Some rabbis say handshakes with the opposite sex are acceptable if it means avoiding embarrassment, but as a rule, it's frowned upon in Orthodox Judaism. If you're a woman and an Orthodox Jewish man won't shake your hand, he's not being rude - he's just forbidden to touch women unless they're his wife, or related to him (kids, mother, etc.) Some very religious Orthodox Jews won't even sit next to members of the opposite sex in case they accidentally touch them, and hugging and kissing are also off the agenda. (I knew an Orthodox Jewish man at university who used to give people 'air hugs'!) Liberal, Reform and Conservative Jews do not follow this practice.

Answer: Standing up vertically in a bowl of rice

Death is a taboo subject in Japan, and should not be brought up at the dinner table. Sticking your chopsticks straight up in your food is very bad manners, as it is reminiscent of incense sticks used at funerals, which are placed standing upright in a bowl of rice.

It's also considered to be unlucky. Passing food to someone else with your chopsticks is also a no-no, as one traditional Japanese funeral custom involves the relatives of a dead person passing bone fragments around using chopsticks.

Answer: Money

According to traditional British etiquette, it is very vulgar to ask someone how much they earn. A 2015 study by University College London even claimed that Brits are more comfortable talking about our sex lives than our finances! Part of this is because people may feel insecure about earning less than someone else, talking about being well off or earning a lot can be seen as boasting, or because excessive interest in money is seen as greedy and therefore crude. According to an article in 'Vice', the taboo also stems from the British class system, and the days of landed gentry owning certain amounts of land and the laws governing said land. Etiquette expert Jodie Smith was quoted as saying, "Those who have (money and land) don't talk about it."

Answer: Yellow

Like Japan, Russia has its own flower-related beliefs, and this includes the colour of flowers. The colour yellow represents infidelity, and to a lesser extent, is associated with funerals. If you give your girlfriend yellow flowers, she might interpret as you dumping her.

There's even a Russian song about break-ups called 'Zhyoltye Tyul'pany' ('Yellow Tulips'). Also, when giving flowers, there must be an odd number, not an even one, as even numbers of flowers are also associated with funerals.

Answer: Feet

Showing the soles of your feet to people is considered to be very rude in Thailand, so when sitting down, keep your feet on the floor and do not sit with your soles facing outward, and do not point your feet at statues of the Buddha. Stepping on money is also a really bad idea, as Thai currency has pictures of the royal family on it, and disrespect towards the Thai royal family is taken very seriously.

This includes touching pictures of them with your feet, and there have been cases of people being arrested for stepping on Thai money.

Answer: False

Islamic tradition favours the right hand, which should be used for performing ablutions in the mosque, shaking hands, eating and so on; the Prophet Mohammed did this, and Muslims are expected to follow his example. Islamic toilet etiquette also dictates that you must use your left hand to wipe yourself after going to the toilet, so using it to eat, shake hands and so on is makruh (an abomination). Ideally, you should use your right hand to eat, unless you have an illness or injury which prevents you from doing so, and when giving gifts, give them with your right hand unless they are too big or heavy and require both hands.

Answer: Egypt

It's not that Egyptians never use salt in their food; indeed, the ancient Egyptians used salt as a preservative for both food and mummies, and feseekh is an Egyptian dish that contains salted (and fermented) fish. It's more the act of sprinkling salt on your food that is considered bad manners. If you sprinkle salt on your food, it is an insult to the cook as it implies that you do not like the flavour of the dish, and feel the need to change it to suit yourself.

When eating with others in Egypt, it is also polite to refill others' glasses and let them refill yours, rather than refilling it yourself.

Answer: True

Believe it or not, this is true. While spitting is frowned upon in a lot of cultures, among the Maasai, it's traditional to greet people by spitting on your hand before shaking hands. Spitting is also a type of blessing; for example, at Maasai weddings, the bride's father will spit on her breasts and forehead.

A Maasai elder may also spit milk on the ground outside the bride's mother's house before the wedding. When a baby is born, its parents and relatives will spit on it to bring the baby luck.