Word of The Day: Manners

Manners

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English manere, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *manuaria, from Latin, feminine of manuarius of the hand, from manus hand — more at manual

Date: 12th century

Definitions:
1. The socially correct way of acting; etiquette.
2. The prevailing customs, social conduct, and norms of a specific society, period, or group, especially as the subject of a literary work.

Examples:

Squeezing open sixteen ketchup packets for your fries while allowing your husband to take the container of ketchup you spent ten minutes getting by pumping the nearly empty dispenser like a pioneer at the well.

Smiling and making conversation in line at Wendy’s with the mentally disabled man you’ve never met before after he shows you all of the change in his pocket and then steps waaay into your personal space and gives you a big hug.

Sweetly saying, “Excuse me, please. May I pass?” to the two cranky women blocking the aisle in Wal-Mart instead of hollering, “Hey, could you move your a**. You’re mucking up the works!” when they give you a dirty look and move only a couple of inches.