Manners
Main Entry: man·ner
Pronunciation: 'ma-n&r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English manere, from Old French maniere way of acting, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin manuaria, from Latin, feminine of manuarius of the hand, from manus hand -- more at MANUAL
Date: 12th century
1 a : KIND, SORT b : KINDS, SORTS
2 a (1) : a characteristic or customary mode of acting : CUSTOM (2) : a mode of procedure or way of acting : FASHION (3) : method of artistic execution or mode of presentation : STYLE b plural : social conduct or rules of conduct as shown in the prevalent customs c : characteristic or distinctive bearing, air, or deportment d plural (1) : habitual conduct or deportment : BEHAVIOR (2) : good manners e : a distinguished or stylish air


I would like to propose a more functional definition. Manners are the lubricant of social interaction, without manners there is way too much friction for anything useful to get done. I often wonder what has caused such a decline in manners, no longer do people wait for others to finish sentances or thoughts, impolite prying questions are the normal mode of operations. Heck most people cannot even manage a simple conversation without doing something that could be construed as offensive. Where were these people's parents? or their parent's parents in some cases.