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In Elizabethan England, proper manners were more than just how you addressed higher classes or how you picked up your fork. “Manners” were the sum total of a person’s social actions, taste in fashion, and sense of refinement. Even the skill with which someone danced could be lumped in with the perception of their manners.

In Elizabethan society, when people were praised for good manners it was the highest compliment that could be paid. If word got around you had bad manners, it meant being ostracized from “proper” society, a fate that brought not only shame but real social and economic consequences.

While day-to-day manners were practiced most rigidly by the upper class, even the poorest children were introduced to the importance of proper social behavior at an early age. From the ages five to seven, most English boys were enrolled in local petty schools.

It was in this initial introduction to education that proper manners were taught alongside basic language skills and “good Christian” values. Those skills were (horrifyingly) reinforced by a rigorous 12 to 13 hour day as well as liberally applied beatings. This early, intense indoctrination to basic Elizabethan values was intended to help the young not only conform to society, but also respect the rigid formula of manners to which the nobility adhered.

When you sat down to dinner at a fancy party in Elizabethan England, the odds were good the uninitiated were going to screw up. When in doubt, though, just keep in mind that the general rule of thumb is to avoid comfort and fun at all costs.

Keep your elbows off the table. Make sure your hands and nails are clean before sitting down. Absolutely wear tails, and make sure they’re an even length. Don’t blow on your food. Take your hat off. Resist the temptation to stroke any dogs or cats that pass by. Don’t scratch yourself.

Perhaps because eating is the most slovenly thing that we all do in public, table manners were extremely important in Elizabethan England. The sheer volume of books, periodicals, and children's literature focusing on table manners is one clear sign that they were invaluable in Elizabethan society.