DEAR MISS MANNERS: What is the appropriate course of action to take when one has a scheduled appointment and the person providing the scheduled service is very late?... more
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was escorting a lady friend along a sidewalk not long ago, and as we were chatting, I chanced to look down and saw that a dog had left his "calling card" on the sidewalk.... more
If you are looking for a small, manageable New Year's resolution that doesn't interfere with dinner, Miss Manners may be able to help. Thanks to her Gentle Readers, she is unnecessarily well acquainte... more
DEAR MISS MANNERS: In the workplace, I find myself feeling increasingly disconnected from fellow workers who seem to operate under the precise opposite of my beliefs on proper business behavior.... more
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I happen to be very good at remembering names and faces of people to whom I have been introduced before. I have noticed, however, that this is not a universal trait.... more
A horrid burst of euphoria often follows an outburst of rudeness. The offender does his offensive little number and then compounds it by declaring, "I feel better now."... more
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Would Miss Manners care to advise one on how to deal with relatives who persist in sending a video camera around on Christmas Eve and having each family tell about their year?... more
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I need help before my husband and his father stop speaking entirely! My father-in-law has recently become a stickler for thank-you notes. He and his wife live in another state and m... more
DEAR MISS MANNERS: An uncomfortable situation arose prior to my sister-in-law's marriage a few months ago. To be polite as I can, her mother, my mother-in law, is an extremely pushy, insensitive woman... more
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband of 14 years and I, with our young children, participate in many social activities, and worship services, regularly throughout the year.... more
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My mother told us kids (40 years ago) a saying to remind us to dip our soupspoon away from us when scooping up the soup: "Like a little ship at sea, dip your spoon away from me."... more
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am always polite when co-workers with whom I am not friends say "What are you doing for the weekend (holiday, Christmas, Easter, etc.)?" Sometimes I say, "Nothing special" or "I h... more
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Each year I have a holiday cocktail party for friends and neighbors. I spend a large amount of time planning, shopping and cooking for this event and I thoroughly enjoy the whole pr... more
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have faithfully sent birthday and Christmas greetings, sometimes with a gift, to my nephew his whole life. He usually sends a note of thanks.... more
If the holiday gerunds -- decorating, cooking, shopping, stuffing -- seem daunting, it is probably because you have neglected to do the first one, and have skipped to doing the last.... more
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I found out two years ago that I am infertile. Since then, I have undergone several extremely painful diagnostic tests, as well as two very expensive and unsuccessful... more
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My sister's invitation for the big family Thanksgiving included my partner, whom she has met and welcomed into her home before without incident or condition. My relationship has not... more
For a moment there, Miss Manners thought she saw a chance to give the custom of tipping some serious analysis. Maybe a 15 to 18 percent chance. Who, besides tax-dodgers and bill-dodgers, wouldn't like... more
DEAR MISS MANNERS: On Halloween night, I heard what I thought was a large group arriving at my door. They seemed to take quite a while to organize themselves before ringing the bell.... more
DEAR MISS MANNERS: A few years ago, I decided to change my life by joining a gym, and since then, I have become progressively more interested in health and fitness. I've also lost about 10 pounds and ... more
"No, dear, it was a Tuesday, not a Sunday. I remember that, because there was snow predicted, and I left work early. And it wasn't just three men we saw; there was a woman there, too.... more
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My sister-in-law volunteered to host the family Thanksgiving dinner last year. In prior years, when hosted by me, my sister or my mother, the host would provide the meal and accept ... more
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I frequent a local pub, usually twice a week, and on occasion I have either been sent a drink or asked if one could be purchased for me (usually by a member of the opposite sex).... more
The desire to reduce any body of knowledge to something that fits on a T-shirt -- or, in the case of academic knowledge that subject to testing, on the cuff of a real shirt -- is understandable. So Mi... more