Miss Manners Archives (2024)

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I friended an old classmate on social media. We weren’t close in school, but time passes, nostalgia sets in, and sometimes you like to reconnect. This girl was pleasant as a child, ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Fifteen years ago, I received a ring as a birthday gift from my boyfriend at the time. He insisted on giving me a diamond co*cktail ring, but I was firm on its being a gift only -- n... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I like to travel and have been many places in the world. I am very prone to seasickness, though, so waterborne vessels rarely make an appearance in my travels. (As I write this, I a... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I have a vacation house, and we enjoy inviting friends and family to stay there throughout the summer and early fall. Our guests, unfailingly polite, often want to “h... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a niece, Maya, who has been estranged from the family since her teens. After five years, she’s now returned, wanting to be near family. We are trying to get to know her again... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I’m engaged and have a larger-than-average diamond. There have been several awkward encounters where people want to know the specs of my stone: In particular, they ask, “Is it a lab... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have noticed that many restaurant servers take orders without writing them down. This includes orders with several exceptions, such as “no cheese, dressing on the side, veggies in... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have two amazing girls who are 4 years old and 18 months old. For the most part, they are really good eaters for me when we’re at home or at restaurants.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When is it OK to consider a “goodbye” finished? When does a goodbye have to be followed by waving, and for how long?... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Manners among theatergoers have been neglected, such that probably most offenders do not even know they are being inconsiderate.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: How do I respond when people call me "the Bionic Woman"?... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: There is a private, parochial school near where I live. The tuition is expensive, and the school has a reputation for being an elitist club.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have “one of those faces,” the kind where people confuse me for someone else all the time. It’s easy enough to be polite when someone thinks they saw me at karaoke last night, whe... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I suffered a fall at a social gathering. I got hurt pretty badly and ended up with large scrapes and bruises for over a week. I’m lucky I did not break a bone, but I was pretty shak... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I’m a 63-year-old man who previously weighed considerably more than I do now. I currently appear to be very healthy, and look the best I have in at least 30 years.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I received an invitation to the wedding of a colleague’s child. Every piece of correspondence noted, “This is a black-tie affair. Please dress accordingly.”... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Some of my (grown-up) family members will pluck loose hairs off their shoulders and clothes, then drop them onto my carpet, without even trying to hide it!... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was wondering if my daughter should have sent thank-you cards to my wife and myself when she graduated from college.... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was raised right and know my forks and honorifics, but it seems some rules may have changed. I find myself frequently unsure whether something is a gift, in which case I’d simply ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I’m a 23-year-old lady with a 54-year-old father. At restaurants, he often makes comments to the waitresses, asking them if they’re married or have a significant other. It terribly ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband was at the grocery store yesterday and a woman was blocking the aisle, bending over to look at an item on the shelf. A male shopper in front of my husband asked her to pl... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Gifts used to be something one put thought into. Unlike some of your readers, I don’t mind wedding registries. I treat them as guides, not demands, and don’t feel constrained to pur... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My son was invited to a high school dance by a young lady from another school. When he arrived to take group pictures, he was told he had to pony up for the limo and for his share o... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Yet another Mother’s Day and birthday have come and gone with no gift from my husband. What’s worse, to me, is that he has done nothing to show our two little boys how to acknowledg... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: While my best friend and her partner do not believe in traditional marriage, they went to city hall following the birth of their child to ensure the family enjoyed the associated le... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: We were scheduled to have dinner with two friends at the tail end of a fun week -- several days of entertainments, parties, drinking and late nights. When the day of our dinner date... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a co-worker who consistently spreads misinformation in order to get out of doing her job. She often makes up policies that don’t exist to try to trick other departments into ... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I enjoy cooking and setting a nice table, and my spouse and I often invite several couples over for dinner. After the meal, I have come upon a problem: I don’t feel right clearing t... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A family member has self-published a memoir of their life as an e-book. Although we are not close and live in different cities, we do enjoy chatting and catching up by phone from ti... more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am privileged to receive free air travel benefits from my husband’s job as an airline pilot. My family flies on standby status, so we are usually among the last passengers to boar... more