Napkin or Serviette in the UK

[purplebagladylovesgin]

I am in the south of England and say napkin for a pressed cloth ‘serviette’ which is usually made from the same fabric as the table cloth. I understood the thin paper ones, that often pop up from a dispenser in fast food places, which are often a single or double leaf of paper are called serviettes.

A heavy pressed cloth napkin in my book is never referred to as a serviette, this seems to me to be a modern interpretation by a younger generation.

A cloth napkin is also where our word for Nappy comes from.

But I've heard this now isn't the case. What do you say? Am I getting this wrong? And what are the heavy more expensive paper ones called? I'd also been calling them napkins as they felt more substantial.

Early Sunday pondering....

As pp said, napkin is the posh word and serviette is the common word.

Napkin and paper napkin.

Serviette is like nails down a blackboard level of painful.

Napkin and paper napkin.

@MrsDThomas

Neither.

In our house i get the kitchen roll out.

Me too

NW here and defininitely napkin. Serviette is the Non U like lounge, settee, toilet and patio.

I'm in Yorkshire and it's serviette here. Caveat I'm sure some Yorkshire people call it a napkin but no one I know.

Also we mainly just use kitchen roll

I’ve always said napkin for cloth and serviette for disposable.

All over the place.

I use both and have never given it much thought.

@Housewife2010

NW here and defininitely napkin. Serviette is the Non U like lounge, settee, toilet and patio.

Patio?? I didn't know that. What's the U word for patio?

Yorkshire here and it’s napkin and paper napkin!

I’m confused by this though: NW here and defininitely napkin. Serviette is the Non U like lounge, settee, toilet and patio - what is the “U” word for patio?

Ha ha cross posted!

(SE)
Napkin -cloth
Serviette-paper

Though I can't remember the last time I had any need to discuss Napkins!!

Sometimes ask the kids to grab some serviettes when out

Paper towel at home. Serviettes are just more clutter & I hate the shiny texture of them. Cheap or expensive they're horrible IMO.

@Wabe

As pps have said, it’s a class marker. ‘Napkin’ is U, ‘serviette’ is non-U. Like sitting room/lounge, what/pardon etc.

I agree.

(Although I've always thought "what?" sounds ruder than "pardon?".)

napkin/paper napkin

I'm not sure what the U word for patio would be - 'your delightful tiny courtyard', maybe?

Lancashire born and bred I say napkin and paper napkin. I wouldn't say serviette. My Mum did go to an all girl grammar school where they had elocution lessons and learned proper manners (and how to cook and look after your future husband).

My grandparents in NE England always said serviette for both paper and cloth napkins.

Common as muck my ancestors.

I also want to know what posh folks call a patio.

A veranda? A terrace?

A patio is a courtyard if it is enclosed or a terrace if not .

I’ve got it - a peristyle!

@Catabogus

A veranda? A terrace?

I think of a veranda as a ground floor balcony or wooden covered area (lots of American houses have them).

Oh, a terrace. Wow. Didn’t know that.

Yes, that’s what veranda means to me too really. Just racking my brains for synonyms for patio...

I think serviette was regarded as posh 40 years ago but has fallen out of favour now and the word napkin has taken over.

I think of a veranda as a ground floor balcony or wooden covered area (lots of American houses have them).

Which they call a porch- this confused me a lot when I was a kid. I thought they were literally sitting in the tiny room between the front door and the door to the hallway