DEAR MISS MANNERS: Is it appropriate to call another woman’s husband a pet name and leave voicemail messages that start off as “Hi, honey”?
GENTLE READER: Curious as Miss Manners is as to your own part in the aforementioned drama -- wife, husband or other woman -- she is unsure of the identity of the caller, which affects her answer.
The husband’s mother gets a pass, with perhaps some room for a droll, longtime family friend. Other ladies will need either an innocuous pet name or a good explanation.