My preschooler is getting just old enough to have a proper social life (playdates, birthday parties, etc.). I've got some specific questions about the parental etiquette expectations surrounding these kiddie get-togethers.
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posted by Bardolph
on Apr 5, 2013 -
24 answers
My fiance and I have different opinions about visiting and whether or not we should call first. I'm not saying either of us are right or wrong, but I'm wondering if it's a regional thing.
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posted by patheral
on Jan 15, 2013 -
74 answers
My friend is growing a beautiful bushy beard and moustache. After several months it's wonderfully luxuriant. But, it's got to the stage where he can't eat without spillage. As for soup, forget about it - he can hardly have a mouthful before he has to wield a napkin and wipe spoonfuls away. My friend is very elegant and finds this sloppiness excruciating, especially in public.
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posted by glasseyes
on Jan 11, 2013 -
21 answers
I am a guy living in a co-ed sharehouse in Japan. I may have committed a faux pas, and would like to know proper sharehouse shower etiquette. Details inside.
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posted by Kamelot123
on Nov 14, 2012 -
18 answers
We are very, very late with our wedding thank-yous. Over a year. We
know we are horrible people, okay? Now what?
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posted by Madamina
on Nov 6, 2012 -
32 answers
It's 3pm now. Going to an event, a dinner, that starts at 6pm hopefully, but I have a cold. Might it turn out that I am unwelcome at the event if I go? Thing is, I know exactly who gave me the cold and don't really thank them for it. Is it bad etiquette to go to something like this if you have a cold? They are not friends or anything that I would otherwise be exposed to.
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posted by Nish ton
on Nov 3, 2012 -
24 answers
[Grad School Filter] “Hello more-established stranger who already did the academic research I wanted to do and my committee is making me email you…” Does anyone have any verbage that seems graceful and appropriate?
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posted by powerbumpkin
on May 29, 2012 -
11 answers
How do I, very much an
asker, make it easy and comfortable for an askee if they want to say "no"?
or do I need to just not ask? [more inside]
posted by spbmp
on Mar 10, 2012 -
29 answers
Am I a total snob for being embarrassed by my friend's table habit? If so, how can I fix it?
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posted by anonymous
on Dec 29, 2011 -
58 answers
Unwilling toddlers and forced social interactions with adults: is it OK to instruct your child to (for instance) hug Great-Aunt Maisie, when she'd prefer not to?
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posted by Bardolph
on Dec 29, 2011 -
46 answers
Despite my profile name, my wife and I recently celebrated our two year anniversary. Yay! We recently received an engagement party and wedding invitation from a couple that didn't give us a gift for our wedding. Now, we're not sure how to handle the gift situation. Do we get them a gift as we would any other wedding, do we scale down the size of the gift, or do we not give a gift at all?
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posted by love is a murderer
on Oct 19, 2010 -
65 answers
Rock concert etiquette: What are the unwritten rules of general admission, unseated shows. re: your spot.
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posted by windbox
on Oct 16, 2010 -
32 answers
There is a very small, but still nonzero, chance that my brother-in-law might be a pedophile. I have a toddler daughter who is very close to her aunt. How can I tactfully gather more information about this, and how should I handle it with my family?
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posted by anonymous
on Oct 5, 2010 -
59 answers
Prickly wedding etiquette question: We got married a little ways back, had a wonderful wedding, an unforgettable honeymoon, and are now back in the real world again. We're ready to sit down and write our thank-you cards, and have run into a slight... hiccup.
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posted by anonymous
on May 19, 2010 -
43 answers
I need to email an announcement about the death of my dog... but I am very emotional about it and do not want people to contact me via telephone with their condolences. I am having trouble drafting a sentence stating this that doesn't sound rude or like it's coming from a robot. Could you possibly help?
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posted by dobbs
on Jun 9, 2009 -
19 answers
A friend made a really sweet, but kind of awkwardly generous, gesture. How to respond gracefully, while still giving her an out?
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posted by Bardolph
on May 26, 2009 -
23 answers
Etiquette-filter: sending thank-you notes late (like, ridiculously, months-to-years late)? Specific questions within.
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posted by Bardolph
on Jan 21, 2009 -
14 answers
I'm about to move to an organisation where I will be working open plan, after three years in the blissful solitude of my own office. If you could create the perfect workmate to sit at the desk next to you, what advice would you give? (Leaving aside the obvious things like no speakerphone, no music without headphones, etc.)
posted by impluvium
on Dec 14, 2008 -
23 answers
When I go to a restaurant, am I expected to use their cultural mannerisms and customs or is it ok for me to do things however I want? Is there a limit to how lenient they are about letting me do things my way?
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posted by alitorbati
on Oct 30, 2008 -
18 answers
Birthday party etiquette question: Would it be in bad taste to invite my son's preschool classmates to his fifth birthday party?
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posted by LoriFLA
on Mar 26, 2008 -
18 answers
Related to
This post on what defines sophistication, and as a student, i believe there may be people who would be interested in books on the topic (aside of non-verbal language books)...
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posted by Jireel
on Mar 21, 2008 -
7 answers
Etiquette filter: What's the best way to handle being stopped up in a crowed situation such as on an airplane or in a large lecture hall? Is it more annoying if I sit and sniff, or occasionally blow my nose? Also, to imagine the worst possible scenario, what do I do if I find myself in this situation without enough tissues?
posted by martinX's bellbottoms
on Sep 19, 2007 -
15 answers
I've been admitted to a very exclusive, yet humble, sushi-ya. What should I do and avoid, to become a star customer?
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posted by cior
on Apr 23, 2007 -
23 answers
EtiquetteFilter: I had surgery last week and my lovely, sweet friends have signed up to bring a home cooked meal each night until the 29th of December. How do I get them to stop?
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posted by LoriFLA
on Dec 20, 2006 -
34 answers
How do I eat crusty bread or other crumbly items like crackers without getting a big crumbly mess all over the table?
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posted by grouse
on Nov 26, 2006 -
22 answers
My cousin's fiancee had a baby last year. I couldn't attend the baby shower, but sent a nice gift anyway. No thank you note. (the relatives I talked to who went to the shower didn't get one either.) More than month ago, I went to her wedding shower and gave her another nice gift. So far, no thank you note. Now, what should I do about a wedding gift, or should I get off my cranky high horse?
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posted by anonymous
on Sep 9, 2006 -
77 answers
My boss just had a baby. It's a small company. She's bringing it to work everyday. How do I tell her that this is bad?
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posted by anonymous
on Nov 17, 2005 -
132 answers
Does anyone have any suggestions for a good way to get in good with my new neighbors?
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posted by softlord
on Jun 10, 2005 -
17 answers
Is it considered misogynous to use "the C-word" ? It had never even occured to me that it might be until my sister asked that I never use it as it was "so anti-women." At the right moment, it's SUCH a useful word, but I don't want to appear to be "anti-women", since I'm not . Is my sister's view unusual?
posted by bunglin jones
on Jan 17, 2005 -
112 answers
Other than President, Military titles, and Dr. What jobs let you retain your title after you've stopped being employed as such? I don't mean being referred to as 'Former such and such'. I mean actually keeping the title as part of one's name or formal address.
posted by pieoverdone
on Dec 7, 2004 -
19 answers
What do you say or do when someone out of the Blue - generally a fellow user who rarely comments and so is quite new to you - suddenly e-mails for the first time saying he or she will be in town, is interested in something you could help with and would like to have a drink with you?
It's clearly a friendly invitation but how do you politely decline, without having to lie and/or appearing to be a stuffed shirt?
posted by MiguelCardoso
on Oct 21, 2004 -
45 answers
My 6 year old daughter has been invited to an American child's Hallowe'en party here in the UK. Is a gift required?
posted by Pericles
on Sep 30, 2004 -
11 answers
How far behind you does a person have to be in order for you to safely not hold the door for them, and not be considered rude?
posted by adampsyche
on Sep 21, 2004 -
23 answers
