what is the origin of elbows off the table?
@amadeo (111937)
United States
November 13, 2016 3:18pm CST
Good afternoon.I do not recall anyone in my days of telling me elbows of the table.As I got older having dinner with my ex wife looking at me elbows off the table.what?how did this get started.It not polite to have elbows on the table?
I was not brought on this and later.
Even today I get some evil eyes,saying get your elbows of the table.
they did not have to tell me this.I can see it.
As I got older then started to take my elbows off the table.
But not always.LOL.did you teach your kids about this.
Here is a little ditty that I found online.Google
Never even heard of this have you?
Mabel, Mabel, strong and able
Get your elbows off the table
This is not a horse's stable
[or]
Mabel, Mabel, strong and able
Get your elbows off the table
We've told you once, we've told you twice
We'll never tell you more than thrice
11 people like this
13 responses
@Namelesss (3364)
• United States
13 Nov 16
ROTFLMHO!!! This just tickled my bones and took me back aways. Wow! My grandmother used to quote that rhyme. Elbows on the table could get you a slap upside the head, haha. My grandmother was Irish and according to her "ladies and children and 'gentlemen' do not put their elbows on the table because it encourages slouching. Country men and rednecks could do what they wanted but even they wouldn't get away without a good dose of 'evil eye'.
Thanks for the memory hon.
1 person likes this
@amadeo (111937)
• United States
14 Nov 16
@Namelesss well I never gave this a thought .Souching.
Thanks.
1 person likes this
@Madshadi (8840)
• Brussels, Belgium
13 Nov 16
I haven't heard of that before. Other than what @coffeebreakwhatever said, I can't think of a logic behind it. Nor can I understand why it was considered disrespectful.
@Madshadi (8840)
• Brussels, Belgium
14 Nov 16
@coffeebreakwhatever I haven't considered it that way. People in those times did indeed have different standards than most people today
@Namelesss (3364)
• United States
14 Nov 16
@coffeebreakwhatever Haha, I agree. But the real reason was due to posture. If you sit straight and in good form you can't put your elbows on the table.
@Marilynda1225 (91044)
• United States
15 Nov 16
My mother was adamant about no elbows on the table when I was growing up
@Marilynda1225 (91044)
• United States
15 Nov 16
@amadeo now my elbows are on the table but I hear her voice in my head 
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
14 Nov 16
I was taught this but I don't know it came about or why it is considered good manners to keep your elbows off the table. It would be interesting to know.
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Nov 16
@Namelesss Thanks for the explanation. That makes good sense.
@Namelesss (3364)
• United States
14 Nov 16
Hey Judy, see my comment above. There really was a logical reason for it. :-)
1 person likes this
@much2say (57760)
• Los Angeles, California
13 Nov 16
I remember my parents telling us to keep our elbows off the table. So we've done the same to our kids! I knew it was bad manners, but I just thought maybe it made for a higher chance of table accidents to happen (like cups spilling). Maybe not?
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
13 Nov 16
I was taught that as a child but I have no idea why, it is just considered rude
@jstory07 (148720)
• Roseburg, Oregon
13 Nov 16
I like those two poems about elbows off the table. I was told by mother to keep my elbows off of the table.
@Tampa_girl7 (54714)
• United States
14 Nov 16
I remember being told to keep my elbows off the table.
@amadeo (111937)
• United States
15 Nov 16
@Tampa_gir7 I see.No one told me about this.Till later in life
@amadeo (111937)
• United States
15 Nov 16
@nanette64 I see.This is the first time I heard about this
1 person likes this
@amadeo (111937)
• United States
14 Nov 16
@teamfreak16 I see.But do you leave your elbow on the table?
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43573)
• Denver, Colorado
14 Nov 16
@amadeo - I don't. Too much of a habit not to do it.
