Origin of Etiquette

The word ‘etiquette’ used to mean "keep off the grass". Louis XIV’s gardener noticed that the aristocrats were walking through his gardens and put up signs, or étiquets, to ward them off. The dukes and duchesses walked right past these signs. Due to this blatant disregard, the King of Versailles decreed that no individual was to go beyond the bounds of the étiquets. The meaning of etiquette would later include the ticket to court functions that listed the instructions on where a person would stand and what was to be done. Etiquette, like language, has evolved, but it still means literally "keep off the grass". Until the 1960’s, the importance of good manners were taught without question, but with the liberated 70’s came a decline in the popularity of teaching proper etiquette. In 2004, a new emphasis has been placed on returning to traditional values. Proper etiquette and protocol has given children and adults alike a vital tool that not only provides a competitive edge, but a sense of confidence.*

* From an article written by Dorothea Johnson, Protocol School of Washington