DEAR ABBY: I am a woman who was raised in the South by a very proper mother. She told me that a man should never give a woman "intimate" gifts like lingerie.
A friend and I have argued about whether this "rule" applies today. I still believe the practice is unacceptable, even if you are engaged. She thinks it is OK. Please settle this so we can get on with our lives. -- CONFUSED IN OREGON
DEAR CONFUSED: Perhaps the two of you should agree to disagree on this one. Your mother is part of the "hands off" generation, and the logic was that knowing lingerie sizes was "too intimate" for couples who weren't married. In today's world, however, such logic would put companies like La Perla and Victoria's Secret out of business.