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In the United States,[1] thesilent service code is a way for a diner to communicate towaitstaff during a meal to indicate whether the diner is finished with their plate. This is intended to prevent situations where the server might remove a plate of food and utensils prematurely.
The code is almost always taught during business diningetiquette classes.[citation needed]
To indicate they have finished with their plate, a diner places theirnapkin to the left of theirplate[citation needed] and places theirutensils together at the "4-o'clock" position on their plate.[1] It is applicable to most types oftable service: without waitstaff, the host or hosts may find it informative in judging when to clear away a course or the meal.
Utensils crossed on a plate signify that a diner is still eating.[citation needed] If a diner must leave during a course, placing their napkin on their chair indicates they are not finished.[citation needed]
