ArcaMax

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Too often for my comfort, I find myself at the bottom of a staircase, escorting a woman upstairs. My instinct is to let the woman go first, but the unfortunate result is that when I follow her up the stairs, my eyes are at the level of her bottom.

The situation is even more complicated if short skirts are part of the equation...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I are good friends with a couple who were kind enough to cook us some delicious food. They brought back ingredients from their country of origin the last time they visited family there, and made us a dish using a recipe from their grandma. They even went to the trouble of freezing the dish so they could give us ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I need to know if I am justified in feeling miffed.

Let me set the scene: I was the second of three people waiting in line to pay for our purchases at a local shop in our small town. The proprietor was the cashier, known to all of us.

First Person in Line was having a spirited conversation while her purchases were wrapped ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have changed from working at a veterinary clinic in a lower socioeconomic area to one in a more affluent area. I have noticed that when I refer my patients to the local specialist hospital, the hospital staff members are much more polite and respectful than they were when I called from my old clinic.

This upsets me on ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was on a tennis team and was eliminated during a tournament. I was supposed to play two matches: I played one and won, but then got injured and bowed out of my second match. I then recovered, but still didn't get to play in the remaining matches.

We had a very strong team, so I knew I wouldn't play much, but thought I would...Read more