Serviettes? Napkins?

Well I always call them napkins. And I'm definitely not posh!

I always thought they were called paper napkins but what do I know I don’t use anything only kitchen rollif needed ???

Serviettes around here.

I'm with you - a napkin is cloth, a serviette is paper.

Best Irish linen Bathsheba?

Thanks stella.

I never knew but my daughter who moves in much posher circles than I ever have says they are all napkins - what I call serviettes are paper napkins ?

Traditionally, napkins are used when sitting down to eat, serviettes are for snacks or buffet foods eaten whilst standing
However, we've just had this evening's meal on lap trays, so no napkins or serviettes, but 2 sheets of kitchen roll each!

I thought nappy was short for napkin..
Damn! Now everyone knows I'm not posh!

A napkin is something a baby wears on its bottom.We generally shorten it to nappy but it is really a napkin,

Not best Irish linen, I'm afraid Nfk, but I do have some rather nice 100% cotton, white damask table napkins from Dunelm Mills . Always prefer white because they can be boil washed to get all those curry and ketchup stains out! (See? I told you I wasn't posh )

I use a napkin, Mr C a serviette. Same item, different name. We agree to disagree.

The word 'serviette' is French, so Looked it up
serviette
serviette de table napkin, serviette (Grande-Bretagne)
serviette de toilette - towel
rond de serviette - napkin ring
serviette de bain - bath towel
serviette de table - table napkin, serviette (Grande-Bretagne)
serviette de toilette - towel
serviette en papier - paper napkin, serviette
serviette éponge - terry towel
serviette hygiénique - sanitary towel

I think I will stick to napkin.

Napkin here, whatever material they're made of.

Although my Dh calls them chin-wipers.

Anybody else remember the revue sketch about two dozen double damask dinner napkins?

Napkins here too.

After the last item, MOnica I think I’ll stick to napkin too!

Napkins for material ones and serviettes for paper I always thought.

Napkin here too. Not heard anyone say serviette for years.

Like Chewbacca, I haven’t heard anyone say serviette for years. Always napkin or table napkin round here. I do remember some people saying serviette when I was a teenager in the 1950s, but I don’t think I’ve heard it since then.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVEwBqpF0Ak

Here you are Grumppa Cicely Courtneidge at her grandest!

In my house it is called a piece of kitchen roll.

I think that 'napkin' also comes from a French word, the word 'nappe', meaning tablecloth..

As far as I am concerned, serviette and napkin are one and the same thing in English, the only difference being that one of them sounds very pretentious to me (obviously because I was brought up to use the other)

Serviettes for me too. The DGC especially love the ones with pictures of lambs, fish, bunting or whatever I have managed to find .