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In our chaotic world, everyone appreciates a little civility. Now, more than ever, it pays to be a gentleman — admired by men for your ease in every situation and by women for your worldly ways. A gentleman's manners are always impeccable. He dresses appropriately for any occasion, knows instinctively how to treat women, acts his age and is always fun to be around. Yes, a gentleman follows some established rules. But in a revised and expanded edition of How To Be A Gentleman (Thomas Nelson, 160 pp. $14.99)author John Bridges insists that gentlemanly behavior is not about do's and don't's; it's about common sense and courtesy. Take away even a few of Bridges' pointers, and your friends, lovers and business partners will be impressed. A gentleman . . . 1. Keeps to the right, whether he is walking on a sidewalk, down a hallway or on the stairs. 2. . . . does not attempt to walk and send text messages simultaneously. 3. . . . waits for a woman to initiate a social kiss. If she leans toward him, he turns his cheek toward her lips. And when she graces him with a light, brushing kiss, he doesn't dawdle in accepting it. 4. . . . doesn't wipe away a lipstick smudge in the presence of the woman who planted it on him. He bears it, even if briefly, as a badge of honor, wiping it away later with a handkerchief. 5. . . . waits until a lady at the table lifts her fork before he takes his first bite. 6. . . . eats the garnish on his dinner plate if he so desires. 7. . . . places his knife and his fork on his plate side by side, as if they were the hands of a clock set at 5:25, when he's finished eating. 8. . . . always has an umbrella to share. 9. . . . never wears a belt when he is wearing suspenders. 10. . . . leaves the bottom button of his vest undone. 11. . . . never wears a bow-tie with a button-down shirt. 12. . . . owns at least one pair of black lace-up shoes. 13. . . . usually takes his shirts to the laundry but knows how to use an iron and spray starch. 14. . . . is careful about what he says in e-mails. He meticulously reviews his messages, editing if necessary to make sure recipients will understand what he's saying — and the tone in which he says it. 15. . . . knows how to make a grilled cheese sandwich at 2 a.m. and an omelet at 7 a.m. 16. . . . doesn't flaunt his newest gadgets, no matter how expensive or cutting-edge they may be. 17. . . . feels no necessity to wear socks after Memorial Day — at least in casual situations. If he is Southern, he may not even wear them to church. 18. . . . never wears the same pair of blue jeans two days in a row. 19. . . . puts the liquor away when he wants guests to leave. 20. . . . always offers to get up and make the coffee in the morning. 21. . . . never waits for something better to turn up. 2009-02-28
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