Oh, if only the annual holiday party presented as many opportunities as in years past to misbehave in front of coworkers!

Due to budget cuts, most office parties this season are scaled-down affairs. And old, familiar etiquette rules formulated in fat times simply aren't relevant in many cases.

Don't overindulge at the open bar. (What open bar?) Don't dress in a risqué fashion just because you're at a swank hotel. (Off-site parties are almost extinct.) Don't get tetchy or touchy with your spouse. (Significant others aren't invited.)

Although alcohol and table-dancing may be far less common, holiday etiquette breaches are alive and well. No-frills, on-site office parties, due to their very nature, can give rise to bad behaviors, including Scrooge-like commentary about everything from the food to the company's financial forecast.

"Although conversation should be light and festive, if there have been layoffs, takeovers, downsizing or capsizing, employees tend to talk about these things at get-togethers," says Jacqueline Whitmore, author of "Poised for Success: Mastering the Four Qualities that Distinguish Outstanding Professionals" (St. Martin's Press, 2011).

When employee morale is low, it's disappointing but not surprising that the holiday party can provide a backdrop for what business protocol consultant Cynthia W. Lett calls the three G's of corporate negativity: grousing, grumbling and gossiping.

None of these things is going to improve the party, although a fourth G - gratitude - just might. Focus on the positive and use your observations to disarm negativity. So in answer to Bob from accounting who says the food is atrocious, you offer, "Did you notice the decorations? They're terrific!"

Sometimes, party-pooping takes the form of reminiscing about the good ol' days. "A lot of people look back with a wistful gleam in their eyes and say, Do you remember the party we had in 1999 with the great band? It's not grumbly, necessarily, but nostalgic," says Lett, director, The Lett Group, Silver Spring, Md.

Still, it suggests the current gathering is lame by comparison. Be mindful when evoking past celebrations.

If your company party includes a gift exchange with a spending cap, don't exceed the amount, even if you have the means. The cap is intended to be an equalizer and "puts less of a burden on those who have less to share," Lett says.

Over-spending "makes everyone else feel bad they couldn't do the same," she adds.

If a coworker gives you a gift, you're under no obligation to reciprocate, Lett says. However, you must write a thank-you note.