
Leaving your napkin on the table instead of in your lap
What’s the first thing you should do when you sit down at a meal? Put your napkin on your lap, according to etiquette expert Karen Thomas, founder of Karen Thomas Etiquette. In fact, not doing so immediately is a serious etiquette mistake.
“The napkin should be placed in your lap immediately upon sitting, even before other people get there, with the folded side pointing up toward your waist,” says Thomas.