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1 week ago | 
adn.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin
DEAR MISS MANNERS: When hosting a cocktail hour, how does the hostess gracefully navigate the quantity of food served? For example, if the cheese platter is reduced to a few bites, should the hostess be constantly monitoring and replenishing it, even if the planned “hour” has passed? I certainly don’t want to appear stingy with guests. But bringing out more food seems to encourage lingering and drifting into dinner time and beyond.
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2 weeks ago | 
spokesman.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My mother-in-law and sister-in-law wore white gowns to my wedding. Their actions were so obvious that guests commented on it, and the DJ asked for “the real bride to please stand up.”Why would they do this on my wedding day? GENTLE READER: A mean-spirited prank gone wrong? Regardless, it does not bode well for your future relationship with them. Or for a shared sense of humor.
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3 weeks ago | 
spokesman.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Between my husband and me, who have each been married previously to other people, we have four children, 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. We have been married to each other for almost 25 years. Six of the grandchildren and all of the great-grandchildren have been born during our marriage. I am especially close to some of the grandchildren from his side of the family.
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1 month ago | 
adn.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have been taking time off work to help care for my father, who has incurable cancer. To clients I don’t know well, I’ve said, “I’ll be out of town to help my dad, who is sick.”They almost invariably reply, “I hope he feels better soon.” I know they mean well, and I usually manage to take it that way. But that doesn’t stop it from feeling like a gut punch, because I know he is only going to feel worse over the few months he has left.
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1 month ago | 
adn.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin
DEAR MISS MANNERS: What exactly are the rules for saving seats at an informal event where seats are not assigned? When I was invited to my nephew’s martial arts presentation, I arrived half an hour early to save seats for my family of five (three of us were present) because the others were coming from work and couldn’t arrive early. A woman came and sat in one of the saved seats, even though my jacket was on the seat, and I politely told her that it was reserved.
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1 month ago | 
adn.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin
DEAR MISS MANNERS: If my neighbor has a yard sale, should I feel obligated to purchase something, even if I have no use for it? Conversely, if I have a yard sale and a neighbor wants to purchase something, should I tell them to just take it, no charge? GENTLE READER: Unless your residential area has an unusual outside draw, most of your customers are going to be neighbors. If you give things away to them, it will be a Yard Donation, not a Sale.
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1 month ago | 
adn.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin
DEAR MISS MANNERS: There are many examples of technology and bad behavior merging, and I ask for your opinion regarding one that bothers me: people locking their vehicles by pressing the key fob twice, which causes the vehicle to omit a loud chirp. All one has to do to lock a car is push the button inside the door, or at most, push the fob once, which doesn’t cause a loud noise.
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1 month ago | 
adn.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Should I warn particularly conservative guests that an annual party they attended last year has grown in size and will include a more eclectic group of people? My husband and I hosted a last-minute holiday open house last year. Many of the attendees were generally conservative, reflecting the nature of my immediate neighborhood. This year, we planned the party well in advance, and it has doubled in size.
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2 months ago | 
adn.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have been a vegetarian for 15 years. It never fails that once a fellow diner finds out this information, they immediately take it upon themselves to read aloud everything on the menu that I am “allowed” to have. It’s as if being a vegetarian means I can no longer read. I often don’t divulge my eating preferences because of this.
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2 months ago | 
adn.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I bought a drink at a coffee shop that came to $4.22 with tax. I was presented with three tip options: $1, $2 or $3 -- 25%, 50% or 75%, respectively. Since there weren’t any seats left in the shop, and therefore I was taking my coffee to go (thus reducing the need to clean off a table or deal with my presence in the store), I tipped $1 (25%). The barista glared at me as though I’d insulted her, and looked like she’d been slapped in the face. What am I missing?
