A famous fast food restaurant uses the slogan, “It’s finger licking good!” Yes, their food is that good, but no matter how good it is, please do not lick your fingers at the dinner table.
Last night, I was dining at a casual restaurant. The man at the table next to mine ordered a beer and chicken wings. When he finished eating, he sat at the table and licked every finger one by one. He must be well practiced at this because he was able to carry on a conversation while he was “cleaning up”. I pity the person who is next to shake his hand.
You may have also seen the diner who uses the mustard or ketchup and wipes the edge of the bottle with their finger and then licks their finger off. Yuck! They actually made their first mistake by using their finger to wipe off the edge of the bottle.
Use a napkin, finger bowl, or excuse yourself from the table, but never, never, never, lick your fingers at the dinner table.