DEAR MISS MANNERS: I had a discussion with a lady who is to be married to a cousin of mine. She said that black tie means you must wear a bow tie.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My children, who are 6, 7 and 12, have three sets of grandparents, 14 aunts and uncles and eight cousins. We live a good distance from all of them but visit as much as we can. We us... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Please tell me what the proper etiquette is when one sees a neighbor's belongings tossed into the street because their house was foreclosed? Several houses in my neighborhood have b... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: There are two homes I visit regularly, my brother's and a best friend's. I'm always welcome in both places and feel fortunate to be close to both households.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: The holidays mean that friends and family fill each other in on the year's happenings. For the last few Christmases, I have had the same boyfriend. It was getting very serious and m... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I work as a cashier during the Christmas season, and I often wish my customers "Happy holidays." Sometimes customers get all offended and reply with something like "I choose to cele... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: What is the proper etiquette for when you pour gravy or a sauce from a gravy bowl (it has a spout) and the gravy is dripping off the side of the spout? Do you wipe it off with your ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My wife and I are both fortunate to come from large families with whom we love to spend time, and do so frequently. We are also blessed to belong to more than one large circle of fr... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have been dealing with a serious hip condition, and this summer it was time to have surgery so that I would ultimately be able to walk and function normally again. At first, I was... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I enjoy eating dinner with our children at home most nights. The children are generally charged with setting the table and clearing plates, and an issue has arisen re... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My relatives are angry with me for not distributing a list of what I want them to give me for Christmas!... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My partner and I are having a disagreement over the proper etiquette concerning holiday cards. I have always included a very short, handwritten note in each holiday card, including ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I have hosted a large Christmas party in our home almost every year since 1994. We invite around 300 people, a combination of business associates and friends, with ab... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: If I can contain my anger, let me relate the Thanksgiving Day "celebration" at our home, with my large family.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Several members of our very large family are wondering how to handle something that happens at all of our holiday gatherings.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I'm glad to welcome a relative who is planning a visit to my home, but he asked me to do something that sounds really inappropriate. He says he has other friends and relatives who d... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: In an e-mail from a high school friend with whom I had only recently reconnected, he told me about his pain at seeing his daughter off at the airport as she headed for distant lands... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My mother-in-law is from France and writes "EV" on letters and invitations that are hand-delivered (either delivered by her or on her behalf.) She explained that this stands for "en... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Is it acceptable to announce your engagement when your sister is standing in the receiving line at her husband's viewing? If not, what would have been the acceptable way to handle a... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: On Thanksgiving, my husband and I have for a number of years gone to a family dinner at my sister's. There are other relatives in attendance, usually at least eight, sometimes more.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: At one of the universities where I teach as an adjunct, I had some problems setting up a projector and my personal computer before class.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When conversing, I find a new trend -- more and more people making assertive statements about me or my family.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A guest, who, like me, is a middle-aged bachelor (well, I am perhaps a tad beyond middle age, but never mind that) returned this summer -- essentially homeless after many years out ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My partner and I have attended several weddings of heterosexuals in Wisconsin, which, ironically, passed the first statewide Gay Rights Bill in the 1980s and now bans so-called gay ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When I was visiting friends, I perused my hotel's list of recommended dining establishments. Each restaurant listed their dress code and, to my consternation, I found each of the fo... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When I parked my car in a public parking lot, I noticed a car had a bumper sticker that read, "If you have nothing to say, just shut the... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A married couple, both good friends of mine, are going through a very rough time financially. Together, they made some bad decisions that led to their current financial situation; t... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a question regarding the following scenario:... more