DEAR ABBY: My husband of 20 years is kind, loving and well-respected. He is one of the greatest guys you would ever meet. We have a great marriage, rarely fight and have many things in common. My problem? When he speaks, he frequently says "youse guys," and it drives me insane.
I have a brother-in-law who uses "I seen" instead of "I saw," and I know it drives my sister crazy. How do we broach the subject with our hubbies without hurting their feelings, making them feel inadequate or angering them? I am not going to correct my husband in public, but when he says "youse guys" around our friends, I cringe. Help! -- LANGUAGE POLICE IN WISCONSIN
DEAR LANGUAGE POLICE: I'm surprised that after 20 years of marriage you would only now be asking for advice on how to persuade your husband to use proper English. My advice is to tell him you love him and ask if he would like you to help him lose the "youse." If he agrees, start reminding him when he forgets. But if he says no, leave it alone and concentrate on his many virtues. In the scheme of things, isn't his one flaw rather insignificant?