ArcaMax

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Help! The summer concert season will soon be here in full force, and many musical groups have outdoor performances planned. At many such events in the past, people seated near me have talked throughout the concert. Do they really think that I enjoy hearing them talk through the musical numbers?

Once, a group of six people ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My fiance and I were spending time with an old, close, female friend of his. He noticed she was cold and offered his jacket to her. She wore his jacket for the rest of the evening.

He's a kind, faithful man who always looks out for others, and I know his intentions were noble; he truly just wanted to help his friend when he ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am sufficiently old-school that I will sometimes answer a phone call from an unfamiliar number for which no caller ID is displayed, rather than letting it go to voicemail.

If I say hello, and the caller asks to speak to (name), is it rude of me to reply by asking, "Who is calling, please?" Also, does it matter whether the ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My mother-in-law recently returned from New Zealand bearing gifts for her children and their spouses. Each gift was very well-thought-out and personalized.

However, when she got to me, she claimed she'd forgotten my gift in her car and left the house for several minutes, presumably to retrieve it. When she returned, she ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: At a restaurant, is there a way to ask to be served by a waiter or waitress other than the one assigned to our table?

My wife and I have patronized a local establishment for several years, but have sometimes been served by a waitress who, on her best days, is unfriendly, indifferent, unwelcoming and forgetful about our orders...Read more