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Recently I overheard someone smartly ask if they would be seated "above the salt." Is this an etiquette term, and if so, what does it mean?
Offhand I would say this person was showing off because table settings today are different from years ago. The term "above the salt" goes back to Medieval times, referring to the seating of honored guests.
Guests were seated on one side of the table so they could observe pages and servers bringing in the large amounts of food. The seating was also so they could view the entertainment during the meal. Salt was a precious condiment, placed in a small bowl (salt cellar) in front of the guest of honor. The guest of honor would use the salt and then pass it up [above] the table toward the head, and then back down again. Therefore, people "above the salt" got two shots of the precious substance. If you had a lower rank or lesser importance, you were seated "below the salt."
Etiquette today dictates that the guest of honor - or the guest with the higher rank - is seated to the right of the host/hostess. Salt and pepper shakers are placed by the host and/or hostess, and they are ALWAYS passed together from the left to the right. (Exception: when someone on the immediate left requests them.) NEVER salt or pepper food before tasting it. That is the epitome of bad manners, and also an insult to the chef.
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