The etiquette mistake you only learn by making it

Mine was the bow-versus-handshake moment in a work meeting — I went for a handshake, they'd already started bowing, and we ended up in this weird half-shake half-bow tangle in front of everyone. Nobody laughed at me exactly, but I definitely thought about it for days.

Brought a gift wrapped in a colour I later learned is only used for one specific occasion, and not the one I was attending. My host was lovely about it but a friend quietly filled me in afterward. There's a whole silent rulebook around gifting that nobody hands you.

Accidentally cut a queue that didn't look like a queue to me — no line markings, people just sort of clustered — and got a very pointed look. I still don't fully understand the unwritten rule, I just stand further back than feels necessary now.

Following — only three weeks in and already have a story like this 😅

Question for people who've been here longer — is it actually rude to ask someone directly what they pay in rent, or was that just an awkward one-off? I nearly asked and the guy's face changed instantly, so now I'm scared to bring it up again.

Fatou — yes, that one's a pretty firm no. Money, salary, rent, all of it, stays private here until you know someone well. Weather and food are always safe if you need small talk filler.

Started eating before the toast at a dinner and got a few raised eyebrows. Nobody said anything, I just noticed everyone else was still holding their glass. Now I wait and watch before I touch anything on the table.

Slight pushback on the general 'always accept what's offered' advice floating around threads like this — where I've lived, a clear and firm no the first time is actually respected, and it's the polite hesitant maybe that reads as rude or confusing. I think this genuinely depends a lot on exactly where you are.

+1 to the above, definitely varies more by region than people expect.

OP here — reading back through all of these, I think the real theme is that nobody actually tells you the rule until after you've already broken it. Small comfort, but it helps knowing it's basically universal and not just me. Thanks, all of you.