Why aren't you supposed to put your elbows on the table when you eat?
by 
Penny The Wise
ANSWERS: 7
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Not sure, I found this though: The great houses and castles of England during the middle ages did not have dining tables in the great halls, so tables were made from trestles and covered with a cloth. The diners sat along one side only; if they put their elbows on the table and leant too heavily, the table could collapse. http://www.smh.com.au/news/big-questions/why-is-it-considered-bad-manners-to-have-elbows-on-the-table/2005/07/29/1122144005555.html
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I have heard two explanations: It had something to do with coming in from the fields or outdoor work and either washing the hands or rolling the sleeves down... or... When tables were made from trestles, you could tip the table over by leaning on it with your elbows.
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I dont know, because i do...
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Practical: They can interfere with the person seated next to you. The thing about tipping the table that the others have refered to is probably where it started.
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There are generally accepted to be two reasons. Firstly, as described, tables can be unstable and prone to tipping, Secondly, if you put your elbows on the table, you are 'blocking out' the person on that side of you, so they can not converse with you.
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Chosun One has given exactly the explanation I was going to give - as explained to me on a tour of the Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace. I just need to add that the trend for dining in a large hall was to place the tables in a l_l shape - the hosts at the top table (on the bottom of this diagram) and the other guests on the side tables. They only say on the outside, so they could all converse. So, with everyone sitting on one side of a table or board resting on trestles (bear in mind, the German word Tafel means board), if they all put their elbows on the table at once, it would tip over.
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Because at one time it was necessary for you not to but then somebody decided to keep following the practice as a silly unnecessary tradition and call it Etiquette. It's almost like the tradition of saying "God bless you" or "Bless you" when someone sneezes.
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