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6 days ago | 
spokesman.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was taught by my mother and grandmother, who practiced what they preached, that condolence letters should be acknowledged. Their practice was to answer every condolence letter with a return letter. It could be long or short, but at the very least it should express gratitude.
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1 week ago | 
spokesman.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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1 week ago | 
spokesman.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin
DEAR MISS MANNERS: There is a relatively nice person who works near me in a busy financial office. They are talented and smart, but they have an annoying habit of interjecting a constant stream of unsolicited advice and warnings about health into every single conversation. They will warn me of the plastic in teabags as they watch me make a cup of tea, or the danger of using medical-grade masks to avoid viruses. They blurt out, “Milk – instant inflammation!” as I put cream in my coffee.
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2 weeks ago | 
washingtonpost.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin
People have been receptive to the letter writer’s questions about their walkers, but were they just being polite?
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2 weeks ago | 
spokesman.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have been friends with someone for 12 years. We used to do everything together, and were even roommates for a while. Then she met a wealthy guy at the coast. I have met him a handful of times, and he always seems nice. They are now married and live on a yacht. My husband and I spend most of our summer vacations at the same coastal town where they live. They have invited many people to come and spend weekends with them on the boat; however, we have never been invited.
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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: I worked with someone who was uber passive-aggressive and made my life at work difficult. Fortunately, she retired at the end of the semester. There was a retirement gathering for her with cake and coffee, given by her colleagues. I vowed long ago as division chair to never attend a gathering for this individual, so I skipped it. I was confronted and scolded regarding my absence. I didn’t want to lie, so I said there were personal issues that precluded me from attending.
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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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3 weeks ago | 
spokesman.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I would be most grateful if you could provide guidance on how to graciously handle two common problems with email. 1. The response, “I never check that account.”What do we do when our correspondence goes into a black hole? A number of people have claimed that the message I sent went to an account that they never check. But they don’t offer a newer or better address. 2. Social correspondents writing from their work accounts.
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4 weeks ago | 
spokesman.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am part of a group of six college friends from 50 years ago. We stay in touch by texting often, and getting together in person every few years. We are spread out geographically, but one friend and I are just a few miles apart and have always seen each other more often. I was to stop by this friend’s house to pick something up, and I texted her my expected arrival time.
