Which State Do Your Manners Belong In?

By: Zoe Samuel
Estimated Completion Time
5 min
Which State Do Your Manners Belong In?
Image: Getty

About This Quiz

Manners maketh man, so they say. Of course, manners are highly context dependent. What's polite in one culture may be considered rude in another. For example, there are some places in which it's polite to refuse a gift the first time so as not to appear too eager, only for the giver to insist. In others, that would be considered dismissive on the part of the recipient and pushy on the part of the giver. In some cultures, it's considered polite to clear your plate, to show that you really enjoyed your food. In others, this implies that you think your hosts have underfed you and is very rude!

A lot of American ideas about politeness are aligned across the entire country - but not all! In some areas, minding bread-and-butter etiquettes such as thank you notes, remembering P's and Q's, and dressing appropriately is very important. In others, treating someone's time respectfully by keeping it brief and efficient is considered paramount. 

This depends on a lot of factors, from education to class to whether you're in a rural or urban area - but you can also assess it by state and region. That means if you tell us about your manners, we can point you to a place that they will surely be appreciated. Why learn to be polite, after all, if you can find a place that you'd already be considered polite?

Do you know how to insult someone with a smile?
No, I do the opposite: compliment with a frown.
Not really.
That's my specialty.
Sometimes.
Do you know the rules of etiquette?
Mostly, yes.
A few of them.
I memorized them.
No.
Do you trust but verify?
I do not trust, but I do verify.
Sure.
No, I am trusting.
I generally trust but I'm wrong a lot.

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Do you live by the Golden Rule?
Generally.
If I know you, sure.
I do the Platinum Rule.
No, that's dumb.
Do you know how to dress for any occasion?
Not just that, I also have a spare outfit on my person at all times.
What does that even mean? What occasion?
Of course.
I don't care about sure things.
How rude is wasting people's time?
It is the worst thing in the world. It's like beating them up and taking their money, except worse.
Eh, time moves slowly.
It's not polite, that's for sure.
Depends what it's for.

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Do you take to strangers easily?
LOL, no, I'm not a sucker.
Of course.
Generally yes, if they are polite.
Nah, they're all weirdos.
Do you know how to host a dinner party?
Yes, but I do it my way.
I have cookouts and tailgates and barbecues, do they count?
I sure do, complete with cloth napkins folded into a little dove.
I don't believe in dinner parties.
Do you ever look at your phone at dinner?
Constantly.
What's the point, there's no reception at my place anyway!
Never, that's rude.
Once or twice.

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How would you start an email to a friend?
I just say whatever I'm saying.
Hey!
Dear Name, etc.
Name, etc.
How would you close an email to someone you don't know?
Just stop writing once I've said what I have to say.
All the best.
Yours faithfully.
Kind regards or something, I guess?
How do you thank someone for a nice evening?
Text them.
Get the next time.
Write a card.
Facebook thank them.

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Do you always mind your P's and Q's?
I mean to, but you know how it is.
Yes, that's just the basics.
Of course, every time.
Mostly.
Do you always RSVP?
Nah, they get it.
Yes, but they understand things come up in winter especially.
Of course, in writing.
What's that?
What do you bring to a dinner party?
Wine.
Beer.
Whatever the host asked for.
I can't say that in a public environment.

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You arrived early for a dinner. What do you do?
Knock.
Go on in, they know me.
Drive around the block a little.
Depends how much I want to be there.
You're going to a morning wedding that didn't specify a dress code. What do you wear?
A chic pale suit.
A nice frock.
A knee-length dress that covers my shoulders.
My good flip-flops.
Someone is treading on your toe. How do you handle it?
Shove them off.
Ask them once to move then shove them off if they don't.
Ask them nicely to move and if they don't, pretend to pass out in a way that shoves them off.
Stamp on their toe, see how they like it.

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How much do you curse?
Every other word.
A couple times a day.
Very rarely.
I know almost no words that are not a curse word.
Do you let other drivers go ahead?
No, what kind of idiot do you take me for?
Yeah, why not?
If they are polite.
If I'm tired.
If someone forgot to pay back a loan, how would you remind them?
Text them.
Just leave it, who cares, it's only money. If they show up with it later, that's fine.
Ask twice and if I don't hear a third time, assume they don't have it and tactfully let it slide.
Take their phone hostage.

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How much do you gossip?
More than is entirely normal.
About a healthy amount.
More than I admit.
Not much.
Do you eavesdrop on other people's conversations?
I wish I had the option of not hearing other people, but they're right there, man!
Nah.
Sometimes it can be fun, yes.
Often, yes.
How do you answer the phone when you don't know who is calling?
I ask who it is but refuse to say who I am until they tell me their name.
I say hello.
I say hello and my name.
Why would I answer the phone if I don't know who it is?

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If your host at an event was being racist, what would you do?
Call that crap out.
Leave.
Scowl disapprovingly then not invite them to my next event.
Nothing.
What form of civic participation do you do?
Charitable giving plus volunteering with Big Brothers & Sisters.
I vote and I have a few old neighbors I check on.
I'm on multiple local boards and councils.
That's for suckers.
If you see someone trying to change a tire and struggling, what do you do?
Mind my own business.
Help them.
Offer to call someone for them.
Laugh at them.

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There is one donut left. You want it. What do you do?
Eat it!
Ask if anyone wants it, then take it or split it as appropriate.
Nothing - I'm not an animal!
"Accidentally" lick it so nobody else can take it, then take it.
Someone ate your lunch at work! What now?
Rage and scream at everyone then rig up cameras in the break room.
Eat someone else's lunch I guess?
Next time I cover everything in blue coloring, that way nobody wants it even though it tastes the same.
Smoke more, that'll keep me from being hungry.
Your neighbor's music is too loud. What do you do?
Put on noise-canceling headphones.
Ignore it.
Go over and politely ask them to stop.
Bang on the wall until they stop.

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