DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have always admired the beautiful dresses and jewelry that my grandmothers and my mother have worn. I have been fortunate to have the women in my family teach me how to sew all of... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My boyfriend of a year was approached by two female friends of his asking for a night out of the city to visit him in the suburbs for dinner.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Have you ever been physically restrained by someone so that she might continue her conversation?... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: For years now, I have had people's phone numbers sitting in my mobile like everyone else; some I do call, and some I don't. I have debated time and time again as to whether or not I... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Please help! I am not a professional photographer and I only own a point-and-click camera, but I seem to be the only person in the last several years who has taken a camera to parti... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I had a boy call my daughter. They are both in kindergarten. I feel that is too young to have boys calling my daughter. I gently told the boy that she could not come to the phone.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have noticed a questionable trend in regard to returning telephone calls. Whenever I make a call, often work-related, and am directed to leave a voicemail message, I do so. My mes... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: It is with considerable sadness that I have observed a distressing proliferation of representations of purported ladies drinking champagne while wearing gloves.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was just rude to a child. The fact that he was the 50th person today to ask me to buy something and the 40th person who did not accept a polite "No, thank you" (in his language) w... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I live on a disability pension for a condition that is not readily apparent to the naked eye. I also occasionally sell works of art at a local gallery.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: In the past couple of weeks, my husband and I have been invited to four college-graduation parties for the children of friends where gifts were expected. I don't recall ever being i... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I began reading obituaries when I was a child, partly out of general curiosity and partly because I love good stories, and an obituary is often the only time in someone's life when ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I know this is trivial but curiosity got the better of me. I wore a pair of traditional lady's profile cameo earrings to lunch with six other women, all of whom admired the earrings... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have several friends who are in open or polyamorous relationships. Because I'm happy for their happiness together, I would like to make sure that I'm not excluding or slighting an... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have decided to end a friendship. Years of exhausting get-togethers, bizarre behavior, and, recently, drug use have finally added up to my feeling that this was not a relationship... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a graduating high school senior who finds the process of sending out graduation announcements tacky.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My daughter is getting married next year and is having a dilemma as to who should walk her down the aisle. Her father and I were divorced when she was 2. He has been involved in her... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I came across this statement on a forum and was wondering what you thought about it: "A host cannot invite a person to a social function without inviting his or her socially recogni... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was at a coffee shop today and I was happy to get one of the "comfy" chairs, where I could relax and enjoy my coffee and book. After a little while, a woman approached me and aske... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Is a simple card from your mother-in-law too much to ask for on Mother's Day? We see her, often hosting a brunch or dinner, or we take her out along with her significant other. We p... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Many of my friends, acquaintances and even family members use Facebook as the primary and only means to announce their major life events. This includes engagements, marriages, pregn... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My sister and I both have elderly pets. When one of my pets passed away, I received a number of very kind expressions of sympathy from every member of my family, including my brothe... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband bought my daughter a pair of diamond stud earrings that she had told him she didn't like/want. She appreciates the thought and gesture but doesn't care to wear them.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My sister in-law and her now-husband, who are well into their 40s, indicated on their wedding invitations that they did not want any wedding presents. She was very open with all of ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: In today's tech-centered lifestyle, almost all invitations for parties go out via Facebook or e-vite. Both sites give you the option of saying "maybe I will attend," and often this ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a college student with a question about the etiquette of borrowing notes. It has taken me a long time and a lot of hard work to get to college, as I've been financially indepen... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Our new dog is a 7-month-old, very rambunctious Border collie who is in the midst of being trained. When guests come to visit, we put him in a crate in the kitchen, which is where w... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: The rudeness and bad manners that members of Congress engage in has gone too far. I do not believe any of those truces will last a week. What we need is a Congressional Etiquette Cz... more