DEAR ABBY: I have a friend who believes himself to be quite intelligent. At every opportunity, he finishes sentences for anyone trying to speak. It seems as though he wants everyone to know that he has it "all figured out" ahead of time. It is annoying to have a great story ruined as he kicks in with the punch line (or a version of it) before the storyteller can finish.
If someone says, "Oh, you've heard it before," he will respond with, "Oh, no," and laugh, covering his face with his hands, feigning embarrassment for his "blunder." (In most instances, I believe he HAS heard the story before.)
Isn't this behavior rude? It is annoying to be constantly interrupted, or to have a good story ruined. How should I handle this? -- UPSTAGED IN OLYMPIA, WASH.
DEAR UPSTAGED: The next time it happens, you would be within your rights to tell him emphatically just how you feel about being interrupted while he finishes the story for you. If more people spoke up, he might shape up and shut up.