Über die Autorinnen und Autoren

John Bridges, author of How to Be a Gentleman, is also the coauthor, with Bryan Curtis, of seven other volumes in the best-selling GentleManners series. He is a frequent guest on television and radio news programs, always championing gentlemanly behavior in modern society. Bridges has appeared on the Today Show, the Discovery Channel, and CBS Sunday Morning, and has been profiled in People magazine and the New York Times.

Bryan Curtis is an author and the president of Dance Floor Books. He is the author/coauthor and editor of more than 25 books, including My South, My Southern Food, Classic Wisdom for the Good Life, Classic Wisdom for the Professional Life, and the popular GentleManners series.

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50 THINGS EVERY YOUNG GENTLEMAN SHOULD KNOW

Thomas Nelson

Contents

Introduction..................................................................xi1. Saying "Please"............................................................12. Saying "Thank You".........................................................43. Saying "Excuse Me".........................................................84. Making an Apology..........................................................115. Accepting an Apology.......................................................156. Introducing Your Friends to Your Parents...................................187. Saying "Ma'am" and "Sir"...................................................228. Asking Permission..........................................................259. Paying a Compliment........................................................2810. Accepting a Compliment....................................................3111. Knowing When to Keep Your Mouth Shut......................................3412. Listening to and Talking to Adults........................................3713. Shaking Hands.............................................................4114. Meeting People with Physical Challenges...................................4515. Accepting a Gift You Don't Like...........................................4816. Accepting a Gift You Like.................................................5217. Writing a Thank-You Note..................................................5518. Selecting a Gift..........................................................5919. Answering the Telephone...................................................6320. Taking Phone Messages.....................................................6921. Using a Cell Phone........................................................7322. Winning Well..............................................................7923. Losing Well...............................................................8224. How to Act in Places Where You Are Bored..................................8525. How to Behave in a Movie Theater..........................................8926. Traveling on an Airplane..................................................9327. Walking in Front of Other People..........................................9728. Responding to Invitations.................................................10029. Using a Napkin............................................................10430. Using the Correct Fork....................................................10831. Using a Knife and Fork....................................................11232. Refusing Foods You Can't Eat..............................................11533. Dealing with Foods You Don't Like.........................................11834. Ordering from a Menu......................................................12235. How to Use Chopsticks.....................................................12636. Opening the Door for Other People.........................................12837. A Gentleman Goes Online...................................................13138. Borrowing and Sharing.....................................................13939. The Unzipped Zipper and Other Embarrassing Situations.....................14340. Boundaries: Yours and Theirs..............................................14741. Taking Pride in Your Appearance...........................................15142. Tying Your Own Tie........................................................15543. Shining Your Shoes........................................................16044. When to Take Off Your Cap.................................................16445. Taking Care of Your Fingernails...........................................16746. Handkerchiefs and Tissues.................................................16947. Picking Up After Your Pet.................................................17248. Picking Up After Yourself.................................................17649. Putting Down the Toilet Seat..............................................18050. Personal Hygiene..........................................................183Index.........................................................................187

Chapter One

Saying "please" is the simplest thing you will ever have to do. It is like taking the easiest class at your school. It is a slam dunk. It's probably smart to start using the word "please" as often as you can, beginning right now. It will make life go much more smoothly for you.

Here's what's in it for you: Remember when you were three or four and you would ask for something, and before your mom would give it to you, she would stand there asking, "What do you say?" and of course you would say, "Pleeeeeeeease." And she would give it to you. That was cute when you were three. But look how old you are now.

If you haven't already started using "please" all the time, you should be worried. And your parents certainly ought to be concerned. They may even be asking themselves, "Should we even bother putting him in the will?" or "Why should we be worrying about sending him to college? He can't even say `please.'"

Start practicing now:

At the breakfast table, you don't say, "Can I have some cereal?"

Instead, you say, "May I have some cereal, please?"

If somebody asks, "Do you want sugar on your cereal?" you don't say, "Yeah."

Instead, you say, "Yes, please."

If you're on a crowded elevator, you don't say, "Can somebody over there press nine?"

Instead, you say, "Would someone press nine, please?"

If you come to the door, and your hands are full, you don't say, "Hey! Somebody get the door!" Instead, you say, "Would you hold the door open for me, please?"

"Please" is a lot like HD televisions, the newest gaming system, and having cash in your pocket. It makes the world a nicer place to live in.

Learn how to use it, and start using it now. It will take you far.

You do

Say "please" any time you are asking someone to do something for you. That means, when you're in a restaurant, you say to the waiter, "May I have another soda, please?"

You don't

Assume, just because other people are doing their jobs, that you don't have to show appreciation for their efforts.

Why

One day you will realize that you should be as nice to the person who opens the door for you at Trump Tower as you would be to Donald Trump himself. If you learn that now, you will be way ahead of the game.

A gentleman knows that "please" and "thank you" go together like nachos and cheese.

* * *

A gentleman says "please" to anyone offering him assistance. It does not matter if he is being offered an order of fries or free tickets to a football game.

Chapter Two

Saying "Thank you" is just as easy—and as important—as saying "please." Remember how easy it was to play T-ball? Saying "thank you" is that easy. You say, "Thank you," any time anyone does something nice or helpful for you.

When someone holds an elevator door open for you—you say, "Thank you."

When someone tells you that you are the smartest young man...