Should you take that olive pit out of your mouth with your fingers – or your fork?

When it comes to eating olives – getting rid of the pit can be tricky...

 If you’re in a situation where etiquette counts, Miss Manners has the general pit rules for us. The pit should exit your mouth the way it came in. If you ate it with a fork, return the pit to your fork and lay on the side of your plate. If the olives were served finger style, it’s okay to pluck it back out with your fingers and put it back on the plate. There is no need to hide your pits in your napkin. They may not be pretty – but there is nothing wrong with visible pits on your plate.

If olives are served in a share bowl – you should always take your share via fork or spoon and put those on your plate first. Plucking them out of the community bowl and popping them straight into your mouth is gross – especially if you’re going back for more. If your olives are in a salad, keep your fingers out of there – you’ll need to negotiate those, and your pits, with your fork.

If you enjoy fishing olives out of martinis, proceed with caution. The big ones often still have a pit in there. You might want to have a cocktail napkin handy.