The dinner party you’re hosting is showing no sign of petering out, but you’re desperate to go to bed – so how do you boot your guests out without physically booting them out?
Heed the wise words of etiquette oracle William Hanson, who offers handy tips for emptying one’s property of attendees without causing (too much) offence on a now-viral TikTok video, which has chalked up 1.6million views.
He has also shared some bonus slices of advice on the matter with MailOnline Travel.
In the video, William suggests getting the ‘kicking out’ ball rolling by asking, ‘Well, can I get anyone anything else?’
This is a ‘personal favourite’, reveals the maestro of manners.
Etiquette oracle William Hanson offers handy tips for emptying one’s property of dinner party attendees without causing (too much) offence on a now-viral TikTok video. William suggests getting the ‘kicking out’ ball rolling by asking, ‘Well, can I get anyone anything else?’
For stubborn guests, simply turn up all the lights very brightly, like a nightclub, William advises
William’s new book, Just Good Manners (Penguin Random House), is out on September 12
If they’re not getting the hint, follow up with, ‘Do you have a busy day tomorrow?’
Should this fail to facilitate an exit, simply turn up all the lights very brightly, like a nightclub, William advises.
Should one ever resort to physically pushing someone out of the door?
William is unequivocal: ‘We try to avoid man-handling guests.’
Is it poor etiquette to just go to bed?
William told MailOnline Travel: ‘Bad etiquette and unwise. You never know what guests may get up to when you aren’t looking.
‘A host must stay present for the entire duration of the party, even if they are desperate to go to sleep.’
And is it okay to spin a mini white lie and say that you’ve got to go to bed because you have work the next day – or make up a hospital appointment or funeral?
William said: ‘It’s totally fine to give a little social fib, but be careful you don’t become unstuck the next day with a post on social media. If you have said you’re at a funeral all day and then post a nice shot of you with a martini on a roof deck, you’ll only have yourself to blame.’
For more from Mr Hanson visit his TikTok and Instagram profiles. His new book, Just Good Manners (Penguin Random House), is out on September 12. It is billed as ‘a witty and authoritative guide to British etiquette’, with William sharing ‘his definitive guidance on how to charm and delight those around you in every situation with idiosyncratic authority’.