Breaking Bread
A late uncle of mine who was very well travelled and had spent time with people of many different cultures was of the view that sitting down to eat food together was the mark of a true communion between people. This, clearly, was not a novel opinion but I had never heard it explained so well.
All of this leads me to my point that when it comes to eating the bread rolls offered at the beginning of a meal I have always understood that, in this country at least, the approved manner is to break the rolls apart with your thumbs rather than try to cut them open with your knife. Why this should be the case I cannot say, but logically if we were meant to cut the bread then surely we would be furnished with a sharper knife with which to do so?
Waistcoats
I am not alone in this difficulty however and it was the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, who found that matters had reached such a crisis that he had to leave the bottom button of his waistcoat undone. Loyal subjects not wishing to cause embarassment followed suit - thus establishing a tradition that I'm pleased to see is still observed today.
