8 JANUARY 2005, Page 40

Q. I was told off over Christmas when, at a

dinner party, some unusual cheeses came round and I took (tiny) helpings of about five different varieties, none of which I had tried before. My neighbour told me that when one is being offered a selection of cheeses on a plate it is a breach of etiquette to try more than three cheeses, no matter how many are on offer. Was she teasing me, Mary, or is this really the case?

M.K., Mildenhall, Wiltshire A. There are certain rules concerning the cutting of cheese — for example, one should never cut off the ‘nose’ of a triangular section, but there are no sanctions on quota.