Do you think it is rude for Alice (a commuter cyclist) to slipstream behind Bob (another commuter cyclist, who doesn't know Alice)? [more inside]
posted by Tapioca on Nov 24, 2009 - 59 answers

Do I follow up a positive Yelp review with a response to the poster? [more inside]
posted by pianomover on Sep 25, 2009 - 8 answers

I need help finding something Miss Manners said about budgets and guest lists. [more inside]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero on Aug 28, 2009 - 7 answers

How do I (or do I) politely explain to people that when they laughingly say they have OCD (because they want to be tidy or whatever), I find it truly insensitive? [more inside]
posted by dzaz on Aug 24, 2009 - 43 answers

I just started a long-term medication (bupropion, for ADD) that interacts very, very badly with alcohol. I don't miss the booze itself, but not being able to drink throws all sorts of monkey wrenches into my social life. I need advice on how to be a non-drinker in the drinkingest town in the United States, New York City... where the default activity for any occaision is going out for a drink. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 17, 2009 - 41 answers

"Please excuse me...No really, don't follow me, I don't want to talk to you." How do I politely get out of having to converse with someone I was friends with for a long, long time but am no longer? Person is inconsiderate, dismissive, and generally a bitch who thinks she's funny when she says mean things. [more inside]
posted by sio42 on Aug 17, 2009 - 27 answers

Invited to a Korean household for dinner, what do I bring? [more inside]
posted by tamarack on Jun 28, 2009 - 21 answers

Why (in the hell) can I not bring a date to this wedding? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jun 26, 2009 - 93 answers

Help me stop interrupting everyone when they're speaking! [more inside]
posted by Muffpub on Jun 10, 2009 - 21 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? [more inside]
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? [more inside]
posted by Bardolph on May 26, 2009 - 23 answers

So how do I tell my partner that a recently acquired haircut is...bad? [more inside]
posted by hal_c_on on Feb 15, 2009 - 18 answers

Etiquette-filter: sending thank-you notes late (like, ridiculously, months-to-years late)? Specific questions within. [more inside]
posted by Bardolph on Jan 21, 2009 - 14 answers

Should you address a knighted person as "Sir," as opposed to his/her professional title? [more inside]
posted by NikitaNikita on Jan 2, 2009 - 15 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? [more inside]
posted by alitorbati on Oct 30, 2008 - 18 answers

How can I (very politely!) beg off future visits to my boss's house? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 6, 2008 - 12 answers

Miss Manners Filter: How do I politely say, "Please never contact me again." [more inside]
posted by Sophie1 on May 21, 2008 - 44 answers

Authoritative guide on manners, etiquette, and all that good stuff? [more inside]
posted by detune on Apr 1, 2008 - 13 answers

Birthday party etiquette question: Would it be in bad taste to invite my son's preschool classmates to his fifth birthday party? [more inside]
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)... [more inside]
posted by Jireel on Mar 21, 2008 - 7 answers

My neighbor is very generous - too generous! Her young son and my kids play together fairly often, and each time my kids go to their house to visit, my neighbor sends my kids home with several gifts. Sometimes if she sees my kids playing in the back yard she just hands gifts over the fence. Last time it was a large tin of cookies, a box of Whoppers candies, and a Vitamin Water style drink. In the past gifts have included a hand-knit scarf, brand new clothes, a doll, a box of donuts, and a large plate of homemade fried chicken. At Lunar New Year she gave each of my kids ten bucks plus a box of sweet rolls. I don’t know this woman well at all. We’ve said ‘hi’ a few times but her English is limited and I don’t speak her language which I believe is Thai. I get the sense that our different expectations around gift giving are related to cultural differences (she’s an immigrant from SE Asia, I’m white, born and raised in California), and maybe also that she is just a particularly (or maybe compulsively) gift-giving person. [more inside]
posted by serazin on Mar 20, 2008 - 24 answers

[House sitting filter] Currently house sitting about to start another house, but wait the current house wants me to stay longer. And of course the other household is already gone help! Please note they both have pets. [more inside]
posted by redfusion on Mar 14, 2008 - 14 answers

What is it called when someone pretends to be all innocent, when they clearly aren't? For example, someone is continuously brushing you off, making snide comments... then when you confront them about it, or ask them what is wrong, they act like it's all in your head. (And often act insulted by the implication.) [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Mar 13, 2008 - 29 answers

I'm having a gathering, and a really strange woman has declared that she'll be there wearing a face mask, rubber gloves, and wielding hand sanitizers. How can I politely tell her I don't want her there? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 8, 2008 - 67 answers

Salt and pepper shakers: Does the salt or the pepper go in the shaker with more holes? And does the salt or the pepper go in the shaker with bigger holes? [more inside]
posted by rawredmeat on Dec 25, 2007 - 46 answers

Is it rude to attend a party when you have a cold? [more inside]
posted by Jess the Mess on Nov 10, 2007 - 18 answers

How do I not be an obnoxious mainlander while vacationing on the Big Island? [more inside]
posted by small_ruminant on Oct 19, 2007 - 12 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

Last night I ordered the "grilled shrimp" at a trendy restaurant and it ended up being a single unshelled langostino (basically, a very big prawn). It was delicious, but how was I supposed to eat it? I just dug in with my fingers, the way they do in Spain.
posted by footnote on Aug 13, 2007 - 9 answers

Why do some Americans do the hello/goodbye kiss thing? [more inside]
posted by Elmo Oxygen on May 19, 2007 - 34 answers

Am I a good tipper? [more inside]
posted by b_thinky on May 13, 2007 - 29 answers

I've been admitted to a very exclusive, yet humble, sushi-ya. What should I do and avoid, to become a star customer? [more inside]
posted by cior on Apr 23, 2007 - 23 answers

How do I politely breast-feed my baby while visiting in St. Louis, Missouri? [more inside]
posted by Margalo Epps on Mar 21, 2007 - 14 answers

What to do when someone says yes and then backs out? How to avoid maybe and I'll-think-about-it answers, or get them sorted out before it's too late to make other plans? [more inside]
posted by anaelith on Mar 1, 2007 - 40 answers

So I found a new home. Its great. Only catch is this: there is a washer dryer hookup but I'm pretty sure its hooked up to only one of the unit's electric/gas (I'm not sure who's). This seems like this would ultimately lead to conflict. I'm trying to figure out a low stress solution to this problem. [more inside]
posted by mrgreyisyelling on Jan 25, 2007 - 8 answers

A happy Eid Al Adha? [more inside]
posted by brautigan on Dec 31, 2006 - 7 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? [more inside]
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? [more inside]
posted by grouse on Nov 26, 2006 - 22 answers

Chivalry filter: If a lady offers her hand to a gentleman, palm down, and they're someowhere causual like say, a coffee shop, should the gent kiss the lady's hand? Is there a formal way to receive the hand besides smooching it?
posted by serazin on Sep 28, 2006 - 24 answers

Teach me manners: when to give up my seat on public transportation. Much [more inside]
posted by fogster on Sep 21, 2006 - 67 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? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 9, 2006 - 77 answers

Restaurant reservation poaching? Witnesses? Perpetrators? [more inside]
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord on May 29, 2006 - 29 answers

What are the best manners that I am not aware of? [more inside]
posted by iurodivii on May 18, 2006 - 128 answers

What's worse, manners wise? (Elevator behavior / Train behavior) [more inside]
posted by prettyboyfloyd on Dec 17, 2005 - 54 answers

Bathroom privacy when married...open door policy? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 30, 2005 - 67 answers

How should I speak when someone brings their kids into a coarse-language-OK area? [more inside]
posted by Invoke on Nov 18, 2005 - 48 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? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Nov 17, 2005 - 132 answers

Male and female couple attending a Ramadan dinner this Thursday, wife actually was the invitee (spouse was included.) What protocols, behaviors, manners are appropriate for us? (We are not muslim.)
posted by leafwoman on Oct 18, 2005 - 19 answers

How to politely converse with a person who has a lazy eye? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Aug 16, 2005 - 19 answers