You can say a lot by the way you arrange your dishes and utensils on the table or the way you carry yourself at a dinner party. Table etiquette is a language of its own, and all sorts of rules have amassed over the years. If someone wants to take a break from eating, it is customary for them to put the knife and fork with the tips facing one another, almost like an upside-down V. The other formation they can choose is placing their knife diagonally on the top right of their plate, with the fork tines up, lower down on the plate. Technically, if you are leaving your utensils resting in another manner, that is an indication that you are ready for the next course or to have your dish removed. The standard when finished eating is to leave the fork and knife diagonally across the plate, parallel to one another. It is also considered rude to leave your utensils halfway on the plate, halfway on the table.
Another etiquette rule? The first toast at a meal should only be given by the host or hostess at the beginning of the meal. All other toasts should be saved until the start of the dessert course. While in movies or in past experiences you might have seen people clinking their glasses with utensils in an effort to get everyone’s attention before a toast or speech, this is considered to be inappropriate. If a particular guest is being toasted, they should not stand up or drink to themselves.
It is also, in proper dinner etiquette, seen as rude or improper to order a different number of courses as your dining companions, just as it is considered rude to arrive early to a dinner party. The salt and pepper should always be passed together, and food should always be passed around the table left to right. When using utensils, you should always work from the outside-in. These are all unofficial rules that few people know but many people expect to encounter. Eating has never been so complicated.