DEAR ABBY: My dear friend has a terrible habit of always talking about her husband, "Bennet." According to her, he can do everything and knows everything. In one evening she mentioned his name 19 times. (I counted.) For the record, Bennet is an average guy and nondescript in every way. Even her kids think he is royalty.
How can I kindly tell her she is embarrassing herself, and her friends find it annoying? This has been going on for years, and it keeps getting worse. -- NOT IMPRESSED IN THE EAST
DEAR NOT IMPRESSED: For the record, Bennet must be doing something right or his family wouldn't idolize him the way you say they do.
If you think there is anything you can "kindly" say to your dear friend about her Knight in Shining Armor being nondescript in every way, you are dreaming. Tell your friend you appreciate how proud she is of her husband, but you'd like to hear about some other subjects. If it falls on deaf ears, see her less often if you must, but don't smash her idol.