DEAR MISS MANNERS: What is the appropriate response to impertinent comments from strangers regarding one's appearance, such as "You look tired" or "Why the long face"?
GENTLE READER: As Miss Manners believes that impertinent strangers should be ignored, she doesn't understand why people keep asking her what to say to them.
Still less does she understand why she keeps thinking of things. In these cases, it would be, "Yes, it's very tiring to hear that," and "Because I don't happen to have a short face."
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