"Etiquette"

                

                          Maura Graber and me enjoying an Afternoon Tea

For many, the word "etiquette" implies white gloves, finger bowls, children curtsying, and other genteel manners that once were the hallmark of proper behavior.  But very few people know the actual etymology of this word:  a system of conventional rules that regulate social behavior.  The French word literally means a "ticket" or "card," and refers to the bygone custom of a French monarch making ceremonial rules and regulations for members of his court.  While elaborate court rituals have gone the way of other archaic customs, "mindful etiquette" remains constant.