OK, Jolly Season's over. Before we enter into the short Season of Wild Abandonment, followed by the even shorter Morning of Remorse & Reform, Miss Manners would like to put in a cruel word.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Your saying there is an etiquette rule against a lady's accepting valuable jewelry from a gentleman to whom she is not related caused me to think about a diamond necklace I received... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: At an annual Christmas party sponsored by an organization that I belong to, one female (we will call her Alexa) was making a point of telling others that another woman (call her Bri... more

How many of you gentlemen are engaged in righteous protests, fueled by outrage that it is your own closest relatives and friends who are pressuring you to betray your principles?... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am in my mid-30s, single and childless by choice, and I live in a large city three hours away from my parents, who still live in my rural childhood home. Every year starting aroun... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am the mother of a 17-year-old daughter. I was also, some number of years ago, a Playboy bunny.... more

Along with holiday greetings, the mail is surging with belligerent invitations.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: The tradition of Christmas cards is slipping away: We have no time to write them, it costs too much to send them, and they are ultimately thrown into a landfill. Somebody has sugges... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Are you aware the use of word "lady" is sexist? One reason is that it refers to prostitution. I cringe when I hear congresspersons use the word ("congresslady," etc.).... more

It's not just less blessed to receive, a sizeable minority of Miss Manners' Gentle Readers claim. It's a downright nuisance.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Once you've loaned a book, or someone has loaned you a book, what is the appropriate length of time for returning it? I'm not talking about a $6 paperback; I would not expect that t... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My son called me from the airport and told me that when he was boarding the plane, he noticed two men with wires coming out of their ears scrutinizing each passenger. While settling... more

Skeptical about those instant remedial etiquette classes being offered for children at fancy venues, Miss Manners now finds that she has something along similar lines to recommend.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was taught that ladies do not wear jewelry made with precious stones, particularly those that sparkle, until after five o'clock in the evening. The background for this is that pre... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: How long from the time you're invited to one's home for dinner should the dinner be served? Every dinner invite from my in-laws or sisters-in-law tends to cause an argument.... more

We should all be grateful that Thanksgiving is no longer celebrated as in the olden days, in the traditional American ways. People who are stuck in gridlock this week, on highways, in airports or with... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Per the invitation my husband and I received to a cocktail party, the dress code was "tenue de ville."... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: As a senior manager in an office, I receive many employee visitors throughout the day. I encourage employees to stop by, as I have an open door policy.... more

In planning family holiday dinners, figuring out the guest list used to be the easy part. For polite families, the answer to all the ticklish questions about whom to invite was always yes. A resigned ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: In the relatively distant past, all newcomers to the society of priests to which I belong were given etiquette instructions, one of which cautioned against using our knives to bring... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My lovely wife and I have been married for two months now. We were both virgins before we wed. I mentioned this detail to my mother a few weeks before the wedding, and since that ti... more

Social problem No. 1: Children are growing up too fast. Elementary school children are routinely exposed to sex and drugs, and not just in the television shows they see and the video games they play. ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: We recently buried my mother-in-law. I was not involved with the funeral arrangements or the writing of her obituary or biography. However, reading the obituary and bio, it was clea... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Last year, my ex-husband was waiting in line at a supermarket checkout when someone cut in front of him. Words were exchanged and this led to one punch being thrown. The punch put m... more

For decades now, Miss Manners has been telling people to stop putting such a ridiculous emphasis on gender in connection with forming wedding parties.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I'm sure you are aware of how many young African-American teens greet each other with a certain racial slur. I am an African-American man whose two fine sons tell me this is OK beca... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: How does a young lady sit properly on an old, bumpy, wobbly and rusty seat without a back and at an unconventional height? The stool about which I inquire is approximately 3 feet of... more

"What should I get you?"... more