Archives

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My sister's husband is on the board of trustees of a local charitable organization. It is a first-rate operation and serves a worthy cause. I am upset, however, with how my brother-... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: We have received a gift from friends that was actually a gift of a goat to a family in another country in need of sustenance. I was perplexed as to how to word the thank you note.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: At a a performance of "The Nutcracker" my husband and I attended, there were lots of little kids -- sisters all decked out in matching dresses, little boys in suits and ties.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Our company head office has sent us money to have a luncheon on Christmas Eve. Because it is not very much money, two of us in management have decided it would be cheaper to buy col... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Do many people send Christmas cards out in hopes of receiving Christmas tips in return?... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My spouse and I received an invitation to a "Tree Trimming Party" for the son of a friend and his live-in girlfriend, being given by the young man's siblings. The couple have been t... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My partner and I recently accepted reality -- that without outside ?intervention, the kitchen, and especially the bathroom, were never going ?to receive the weekly attention they ne... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My friend's wife is very faithful in sending a greeting card for every occasion, which I appreciate very much. However, I have a small problem with the way the envelope is always ad... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A lady and I made contact on an Internet dating site. My potential date and I exchanged 51 messages in two weeks with the conversation getting better and better as we got to know on... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have two issues -- my man friend staring at other women, when with me, and should he walk up stairs behind me? If so, is he checking out the rear? Help.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When someone is introducing me to someone else, I keep my mouth shut, listen to the person doing the introducing and let them finish.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Christmas cards ... why bother?... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: You implied that it's inappropriate to greet someone one has just met with, "Nice to meet you." In my case, I have usually greeted new acquaintances with "It's nice to meet you" (pe... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have been a seriously disabled woman for a great many years. My life is sad, complicated and a very big disappointment. My question is not about how to deal with it, but how to de... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I received the following in the mail last week, and I'm not sure what I'm to do. (The names are changed for privacy, the rest is word for word.)... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have three sons, two of whom are married and one about to be. If they come to dinner (invited or drop-in) at our house, is it appropriate for the "girls" to either sit at the tabl... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have hosted our family's Thanksgiving dinner for more than 30 years, and when it comes to sharing the leftovers, there is always an abundance of vegetables, breads and desserts, b... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a sophomore in college, working toward an Asian Studies major. Since I started learning Japanese and Chinese, I began taking notice of Chinese characters on T-shirts, tattoos a... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Any rules on how to answer the phone when (thanks to caller ID) we know who's calling? Seems to me it can be offensive to answer by saying "Hi John," but it's downright dishonest to... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a young lady in my first year of law school. Often when I tell people this, their response is to comment on the cost of tuition at elite schools and hypothesize on the number o... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have begun to notice that the definition of the word "fiance(e)" is changing, and in my opinion, not for the better.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Since I moved to a small town three years ago, I have had the good fortune to have made many, many friends and acquaintances through work, fundraising groups, professional associati... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My son is engaged to a wonderful, well-educated young woman from a conservative family, and my husband and I love her dearly. The church wedding is still months away.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When my husband and I were visiting his childhood home, we had dinner with a couple he has known most of his life. The wife was a bridesmaid in his first wedding, when my husband wa... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: We live in the South, where entertaining is allegedly more relaxed. However, sometimes I wonder about the mixture of styles that I see in dressier dinner table settings.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: The other day, I was out to lunch with a friend and completely by accident spilled my entire glass of water on her not even three minutes into the meal.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: What would be the polite response to an older aunt who calls across the living room at a family gathering, including men and woman, to an adult woman, "You should wear a slip with t... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Every morning, I come into work and the woman in the next office says, "Good morning," and I say, "Good morning," back. Actually, I'm just not in the mood for good mornings in the m... more