# Enough with the wet serviettes! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 3, 2006, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-wet-serviettes/363104 "2006-07-03T23:03:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-wet-serviettes/363104/1 "2006-07-03T23:03:29Z")
Went out for brunch yesterday and encountered yet another “in order to make the serviette stay around the knife and fork, let’s make the serviette ends nice and damp.” Does this happen round your way? :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-wet-serviettes/363104/2 "2006-07-03T23:14:55Z")
I’ve never seen it. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2006, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-wet-serviettes/363104/3 "2006-07-03T23:41:33Z")
I don’t quite get it. Is the restaurant operating on the assumption that the purpose of the [paper napkin] is to prevent the knofe and fork from being exposed to the elements, or something? What do they provide for the diners to place in their laps as a crumb-catcher, and after-dinner face-wipe? ---
**Author:** ![Carlyjay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Carlyjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carlyjay)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-wet-serviettes/363104/4 "2006-07-04T01:19:43Z")
As a waitress who does more than my share of roll-ups, I can say I’ve never in my life worked in a place that does that sort of thing. If anything, that would take up WAYYYY too much of my time. Furthermore, the serviettes would be harder to roll. If anything, it may just be that you’re eating in places where the cutlery is either not polished, and thus goes directly from wet dishwasher to your napkin, or the place has their roll-ups too close to the water jugs. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-wet-serviettes/363104/5 "2006-07-04T01:38:27Z")
What the fuck is a “serviette?” /too lazy/drunk to look it up right now ---
**Author:** ![Carlyjay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Carlyjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carlyjay)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-wet-serviettes/363104/6 "2006-07-04T02:04:44Z")
A serviette is a paper napkin. And the reason restaurants roll your cutlery up in the napkin is because that means that once it has been washed and polished, it can rest neatly in the napkin, meaning that when the server, whose fingers are likely filthy despite constant handwashing, brings you your cutlery or resets a table, they do not touch the cutlery, they only touch the napkin. Also, it keeps the cutlery that’s just sitting there from being exposed to the numerous disgusting things that may land upon it in a restaurant setting. I’ll refrain from describing what _kinds_ of things, so that you won’t lose all ability to eat in restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-wet-serviettes/363104/7 "2006-07-04T02:26:21Z")
> [@Carlyjay](#): > > Also, it keeps the cutlery that’s just sitting there from being exposed to the numerous disgusting things that may land upon it in a restaurant setting. I’ll refrain from describing what _kinds_ of things, so that you won’t lose all ability to eat in restaurants. Unfortunately the serviette doesn’t cover the parts you put your food on and consequently put in your mouth. So now I’m feeling just a little bit barfy… ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-wet-serviettes/363104/8 "2006-07-04T03:18:55Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > What the fuck is a “serviette?” > > /too lazy/drunk to look it up right now From personal experience, “serviette” is one of many words that a Canadian (and Brit/Aussie/Kiwi as well?) should not use when visiting the United States. You will always get a strange look, as if you were referring to feminine apparatus of some type. ---
**Author:** ![Silence\_of\_the\_clams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Silence\_of\_the\_clams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silence_of_the_clams)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-wet-serviettes/363104/9 "2006-07-04T15:58:27Z")
> [@K364](#): > > From personal experience, “serviette” is one of many words that a Canadian (and Brit/Aussie/Kiwi as well?) should not use when visiting the United States. You will always get a strange look, as if you were referring to feminine apparatus of some type. I always thought a serviette was the female version of a waiter? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-wet-serviettes/363104/10 "2006-07-04T17:53:20Z")
> [@K364](#): > > From personal experience, “serviette” is one of many words that a Canadian (and Brit/Aussie/Kiwi as well?) should not use when visiting the United States. You will always get a strange look, as if you were referring to feminine apparatus of some type. Indeed. I was once asked where the serviettes were, and I paused a moment, then recalled “servietta” is Spanish for “napkin,” and made the connection. I’m so leet. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-wet-serviettes/363104/11 "2006-07-05T00:10:19Z")
I think the one thing I’ve seen keeping the napkin around the silverware is sort of like a long post-it: a strip of paper with a weak adhesive. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-wet-serviettes/363104/12 "2006-07-05T21:22:03Z")
I thought this would be a thread about someone fed up with Adrian Monk.