DEAR ABBY: Please settle a debate between my fiance and me. He contends that when we're in a restaurant, it is impolite to say to your server, "I will have ..." and insists that the request should be, "May I have ... ?"
I was raised to believe that either statement would be acceptable. What say you? -- QUERY-CONSCIOUS IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR Q.C.: If the server asks you, "What'll you have?" it's perfectly acceptable to respond, "I'll have ..." However, "May I have ..." sounds more refined.
If this is the only complaint your fiance can come up with, he's a lucky man and should count his blessings.