The rudest things you unwittingly do, by an etiquette expert. Here are the habits others judge you for, from removing your shoes to offering house tours and buttering bread incorrectly

The way you add salt to food can reveal everything about how polite – or not – you are, says William Hanson, author of Just Good Manners: A Guide to Politeness, Charm and Decorum.

So you slip up at dinner? And what other social sins might you be committing?

Here he reveals everything from the faux pas that makes you a terrible host, to the annoying fashion accessory that makes coworkers think you’re ill-mannered.

Read on, if you dare…

Remove footwear

Unless they are dirty, keep your shoes on. I don’t want to see people’s feet; they often smell.

Traditionally, the upper class had antique carpets that had been in the family for generations and wooden floors. From the middle class onwards they had wall-to-wall carpets and were more choosy about that.

Imagine going to Buckingham Palace and Queen Camilla asking you to take off your shoes. If she can handle it, anyone can too.

Offering tours of the house

This is the definition of gauché. Your house is not owned by the National Trust. Friends don’t care what you did to your son’s bedroom.

Become salty

Do not sprinkle salt on your food. Place a pile on the edge of your plate, then take a few grains on the blade of your knife and add them to the food on your fork. In a more relaxed environment, take it with your fingers and sprinkle it.

Never season before tasting, and don’t add salt or pepper at all if you’re concerned about the insinuation that the host’s food is bland.

Put the bread down

Cut into your bread and before the meal even starts you’ve created a problem; the table is now covered in crumbs.

Instead, tear off a small piece of bread and brush it with butter on your side plate. Never lift it up.

Get rid of that uncertainty

In a good restaurant you show your own insecurities by proclaiming how fancy it is, saying things like, “Oh, I’m not really used to this.”

The experience doesn’t have to be intimidating. They want you to have a good time, spend money and then come back and spend more. Saying this makes it clear to everyone that this is not your natural habitat.

A shame about social media

You assume that everyone in the restaurant wants to be in your photos on Instagram.

They may be very famous, having an illicit affair or simply not wanting to be caught on camera. This kind of behavior will quickly mark you as resourceful and not ordinary.

Place the hyacinth bucket over the bouquet

You rinse the wine in a flamboyant way through the glass or in your mouth.

But the waiter doesn’t care if you like it or not. Wine tasting is a misleading term because you are not supposed to taste the wine; it’s complete theater. You just sniff to check if there is cork in it.

The exception to this is the house wine. If you taste a small amount and don’t like it, you have the right to change your mind.

No PDA please

You can’t keep your hands off your partner.

Brits still don’t like public displays of affection (PDA), so if you are with your partner at a friend or relative’s house, don’t leave your hand on the knee for more than five seconds if it is visible to others. Please keep all affection short and sweet as we are British not Spanish.

Handshakes, no hugs

You’re too famous. It is much better to offer a handshake and not a hug or kiss when greeting someone for the first time.

A handshake tells you more about their character. A kiss or a hug fits very close to their personal space. A hug can feel insincere and incredibly awkward if both parties aren’t fully committed to it.

Money shouldn’t talk

You talk about money. When it comes to introductions and small talk, avoid all the big topics – ambitions for your children, views on marriage, lavish holiday plans.

It is remarkable that during a first meeting you can talk about sex, but not about money. If their answers become staccato, that’s your cue to move on.

Style is silent

In an open office space you wear loud jewelry.

Rattling bracelets can be irritating to coworkers, especially if you tap on a keyboard all day. Just like long nails. Wear them to dinner, but at the office you have to consider what a distraction they are to everyone else.

WFH in the office

You turn the office into an extension of your home.

Although offices are becoming less formal, there should still be a dress standard. Don’t make yourself look like you just came out of the grocery store or are about to relax on the couch. Your clothes determine the way you think, and you need to dress to impress both clients and colleagues.

William Hanson is the author of Just Good Manners: A Quintessential Guide To Courtesy, Charm, Grace and decorum, published by Penguin, away now.