DEAR MISS MANNERS: My wife and I entertain frequently. We get a lot of joy out of hosting longtime friends and family for holidays and special occasions. We are attentive to the vibe and move things a... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Should I warn particularly conservative guests that an annual party they attended last year has grown in size and will include a more eclectic group of people?... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Having been raised in a strongly evangelical home, and having painfully walked away from those beliefs, religion is an emotionally distressing subject for me, one that I am only abl... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: How long should someone wait for a call to be returned?... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: We are holding a celebration of life for my 28-year-old son at an airplane hangar. I’m saying “Wear anything!” because we want it to be about celebrating his life more than mourning... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I had a severe injury to a finger. It has since healed, but when I cook, I usually keep a bandage over the injury to protect the area.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: While outside in the smoking area of a music venue a couple weeks ago, a woman next to me became a little too animated and lightly bumped into me. She apologized, and I politely res... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A while back, a colleague of mine said that he and his wife would like to invite me over for dinner at their home. The evening of the dinner, there was another guest, Chloe, a woman... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My partner and I lived abroad for 12 years and have recently moved back to his hometown. He has a job, I am working as a temp, and we are struggling to find housing, so we have been... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I’m a physician, so I am used to people addressing me as "Dr. Jones." That includes both patients and non-physician staff in the hospital where I work. Even out in public, if I run ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: On my daughter’s wedding day, the weather was perfect, as was the venue and all preparations. A few hours before the ceremony, the groom was arrested on an active warrant. (That’s a... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have been a vegetarian for 15 years. It never fails that once a fellow diner finds out this information, they immediately take it upon themselves to read aloud everything on the m... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have been a vegetarian for 15 years. It never fails that once a fellow diner finds out this information, they immediately take it upon themselves to read aloud everything on the m... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I hold an annual party, for which I hire a person to assist me in setting it up, maintaining the buffet and serving drinks. She has always done a great job. ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When walking or biking on a sidewalk or a trail, I often encounter three individuals walking or riding abreast. Instead of their moving to single file to let me pass, I’m forced to ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: We threw a small potluck birthday lunch in the break room for one of our co-workers. About four of us contributed; we all work directly with her and know her the best.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: We threw a small potluck birthday lunch in the break room for one of our co-workers. About four of us contributed; we all work directly with her and know her the best.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: If we renewed the lovely fashion of wearing gloves, people wouldn't have to fear catching germs from shaking hands or appearing rude for refusing.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Sometimes people enthusiastically tell me something they think I don’t know, particularly about my areas of expertise. Saying "I already knew that" sounds condescending. Pretending ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was in my office when I got an urge to go to the bathroom. I hate to do this at work, because I work in a converted townhouse where the bathrooms are just one toilet and one sink,... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a few old friends scattered around the country who will only talk on the phone if they’re actively doing something else. This leads to a variety of acoustic challenges: wind ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I ran into an unexpected soup situation. ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: The office where I work has about 20 people, half working in person and half remote. A young woman early in her career, who works remotely and is on several of the regular video cal... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Do people say “How do you do?” anymore when being introduced to someone? The phrase seems to have faded away.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Why do people, especially celebrities, feel the need to post their intimate details for all to read?... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I had an art show last summer, the week before my birthday. An old friend stopped by and purchased a very nice glass platter (over $150) for her daughter.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I’m a university professor and a woman in her early 30s. I was attending a talk and arrived late. The only place to sit was a small couch, big enough to seat two (or perhaps three, ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: We love our neighbors, but an increasing number of them -- parents, children or both -- are appearing at our front door to sell products for fundraising purposes. We are asked to bu... more