During America's Gilded Age, a formal dinner setting might include as many as 24 pieces per person, and choosing the wrong fork for the cheese course was coarse at best, and social suicide at worst.
Fortunately, dinner is a lot simpler these days, but dining etiquette is still an important tool for social mobility — not to mention a sign of respect for others.
First, remember what your parents told you: Wash your hands before you come to the table. Chew with your mouth closed. Keep your elbows off the table. Put your napkin in your lap and remember to actually use it. Don't slouch. The basics are half the battle, and if they aren't second nature already, then practice until they are.
Use your utensils correctly. In American-style dining, hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right while cutting food, and switch the fork to your right hand to eat. Make sure that the fork prongs face up when you bring the food to your mouth. Never hold a utensil in a fist or "shovel" the food. When you finish eating, lay your fork and knife side-by-side at an angle across the plate, pointing to 10 and 4 o'clock.
Your napkin should be folded in half and placed in your lap, with the fold toward your waist, for the entire meal. Place your napkin to the left of your plate when you finish eating.
Always pass food items to the right. Salt and pepper should always move together, with one in each hand. Don't pause to use the salt and pepper yourself after someone else has asked to use them first.
If you're eating at a restaurant, avoid items that are messy or difficult to eat like spaghetti. Wait until everyone has been served before you begin to eat.
