DEAR ABBY: When an invitation to a party states, "No gifts, please," do people really mean it?
I have heard people mention how much they got after such parties, who gave what, and how cheap "so-and-so" was. I thought "no gifts" really meant no gifts.
If you come giftless, are you in the wrong? -- CONFUSED PARTYGOER IN MICHIGAN
DEAR CONFUSED: "No gifts" means exactly what it says. People who describe their guests as "cheap" and complain that what was given to them wasn't good enough are petty gossips whose parties you should avoid.