|The Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette, Updated| To many
people, the word "etiquette" implies white gloves, finger bowls,
children curtsying, and other genteel manners that once were the
hallmark of proper behavior. But few people know the actual
etymology of this rather daunting word that describes a system
of conventional rules that regulate social behavior. The word
literally means a "ticket" or "card," and refers to the ancient
custom of a monarch setting forth ceremonial rules and
regulations to be observed by members of his court. As far back
as Anglo-Saxon times, consideration for others, as well as
observance of a monarch's rules, was a part of etiquette, as
demonstrated in the epic poem Beowulf, written around A.D. 700,
when Queen Wealtheow, "mindful of etiquette," offered the goblet
first to the king, then to the courtiers, and finally to
herself. And through the centuries the observance of such
consideration has remained unquestioned. While elaborate court
rituals have gone the way of other