Introduction
In 1855, the November 24th issue of Charles Dickens’s Household Words carried a long article on good manners. Written by frequent contributor the Revd Edmund Saul Dixon, it took a look at etiquette in England, France and Arab lands, and the Arabs were the clear winners. The opening lines impressed on young readers the importance of courtesy, in a fashion suggesting that Dixon had a quite remarkable pet dog.
Manners make the man;* the want of them the fellow. Manners also make the woman; and, above all, manners make the child. Nay, even manners make the dog. There are ill-behaved, untidy dogs (like poor unfortunate Launcelot Gobbo’s),* who only serve to bring upon their owners disgrace, abuse, and fisticuffs; while there are cleanly, considerate, praiseworthy dogs; dogs who will offer their paws to be wiped with a napkin before entering a drawing-room; dogs who prepossess you in their favour as soon as you look at them; dogs whose refined and courteous demeanour will introduce you to the acquaintance of the very persons you desire to know, picking them out for you in a public walk.
In another sense, manners make the man; that is, they make his fortune. A ready smile, a modest assurance, and a patient and deferential power of attention, have carried a man further and higher than great talents or brilliant powers of mind. A pleasing address, if not the best letter of recommendation, is certainly the best assistant to a good one. A spoonful of honey will catch more flies than a gallon of vinegar. Politeness is the current coin which purchases the most for the least outlay. Therefore, all these things considered, mind your manners,— young people who are just beginning the world!
From ‘Mind Your Manners!’, an article in ‘Household Words’ for Saturday November 24th, 1855, edited by Charles Dickens.
* ‘Manners makyth man’ is the motto of two educational institutions founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham (1320-1404), Winchester College, a public school, and New College, Oxford.
* Dixon has assumed that the clownish Launce in Two Gentlemen of Verona, one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays, is the same character as the clownish Launcelot Gobbo, Shylock’s servant in The Merchant of Venice. Launce’s dog, Crab, disgraced himself heartily, making off with some chicken and relieving himself on a lady’s dress.
Précis
Writing for Household Words in 1855, Edmund Dixon declared that good manners elevate man, woman or child above the common. Without costing a penny to acquire, they go a long way towards making up for a lack of talent or patronage, and young people wishing to succeed should do whatever they can to cultivate them. (55 / 60 words)
Writing for Household Words in 1855, Edmund Dixon declared that good manners elevate man, woman or child above the common. Without costing a penny to acquire, they go a long way towards making up for a lack of talent or patronage, and young people wishing to succeed should do whatever they can to cultivate them.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, because, despite, just, not, otherwise, unless, until.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Gallon. If. Not.
2 Fisticuffs. Little. Talent.
3 Beginning. One. You.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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